Knicks’ Title Defense Stumbles After 0-3 Start

The Knicks have opened their championship defense unevenly, with early losses to Philadelphia and other contenders exposing slow starts, turnovers and lapses in execution. Players and coach Mike Brown have pointed to the challenge of resetting after a long title run, a short offseason and the celebrations and demands that followed, while stressing that the team must rebuild its form step by step. New York has shown flashes of last season’s resilience, but opponents are giving the champions their best effort, and the Knicks have often fallen behind by double digits without mounting a comeback. The slow start is not decisive this early in the season, but the team’s early play underscores how difficult it is to repeat as NBA champion.