Knicks' Turnover Woes Deepen Early in Title Defense

The reigning NBA champion Knicks are off to a rocky start, sitting at 2-4 through six games, and turnovers are a big reason why. New York has coughed the ball up 93 times this season, including 13 giveaways in a 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday. That total puts the Knicks among the league's worse offenders alongside Detroit, Brooklyn, Minnesota and Houston, a surprising slide for a team that ranked among the NBA's stingiest with the ball last season. Head coach Mike Brown said players are pressing too hard for big plays instead of simple, safe ones, describing it as trying to "hit a home run" on every possession rather than settling for "singles." Captain Jalen Brunson echoed that sentiment, saying hesitation and overthinking have led to risky, low-percentage passes. The team has also been adjusting its offense to run more through Karl-Anthony Towns, who is seeing more touches and longer possessions than last season but has also averaged over four turnovers a game so far. Forward Josh Hart said the team needs to be more careful and deliberate with its decision-making. Backup guard Jose Alvarado has missed recent games with an ankle injury. Despite the slow start, Brunson expressed confidence the team will clean up its mistakes as the season progresses.