Knicks aim to eliminate recurring slow starts in the NBA Finals

Knicks Struggle with Slow Starts in Finals

The Knicks have had a history of slow starts during the regular season. However, they seemed to address this issue as the playoffs progressed. Yet, it made a return in the Finals.

In the three games of this series so far, the Knicks have found themselves behind early in the first quarter. In their Game 3 loss on Monday, they fell behind by as much as 12 points in that quarter. Similarly, in Games 1 and 2, they trailed by 10 points early on.

“Yeah, we need to figure that out,” Karl-Anthony Towns remarked on Tuesday. “We have to understand that in every Finals game so far, we’ve put ourselves in a position where we have to start fighting immediately. We’ve managed to come back each time, but it’s astonishing that this keeps happening. The Spurs have excelled at setting the pace from the start. We need to be the ones to throw the first punch.”

A significant factor in the series is the strength of the Spurs’ starting lineup. Comprising De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julien Champagnie, and Victor Wembanyama, they boast an impressive net rating of 25.0 points this postseason. This is the top rating for any five-player combination that has played at least 100 minutes together. The Knicks’ starting lineup, featuring Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Towns, ranks second, but with a much lower net rating of 11.2 points.

The Spurs are outscoring their opponents by an average of 4.5 points in the first quarter, the highest of any team in the playoffs.

“We didn’t do a good job coming into the game [on Monday],” coach Mike Brown said. “It wasn’t just in the first half, but in the second half as well. We need to elevate our physicality early in the game and keep it going without committing fouls.”

Falling behind early is an added pressure for the team, and Brown has emphasized the importance of addressing this during the regular season. The players have echoed these concerns.