BOSTON (AP) 鈥� Built to compete with the Eastern Conference鈥檚 elite during the offseason, the New York Knicks are trying to still figure out how to break into the top group after the past two games.
Worse yet, it was on Sunday.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not trying to close the gap with the Boston Celtics,鈥� Knicks guard Josh Hart said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the champs for a reason. They鈥檝e got all-NBA guys, they鈥檝e got All-Stars, a heck of team. We鈥檙e not trying to close the gap on them. We鈥檙e trying to make sure we get ourselves where we need to be at the end of the year, and right now we鈥檙e not there.鈥�
on Friday night, they still look as if they鈥檙e trying to get things figured out. On Sunday, Boston built a 27-point lead in the third quarter before the Knicks made a charge that fizzled in the fourth.
鈥淲e鈥檝e all got to step up to the plate,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e really got to start building. Right now, we鈥檝e got the possibility that we might face (Boston) down the road. We鈥檝e got to continue to get better.鈥�
The new-look Knicks were supposed to be the biggest threat to the Celtics in the conference after adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges over the summer.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an on-going process,鈥� Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, when asked if they鈥檝e closed the gap against Boston. 鈥�(That) team is a well-oiled machine. They鈥檝e been together a while. We have to keep learning and getting better.鈥�
Seeded third in the East, behind the second-seeded Celtics and Cleveland, the Knicks need to regroup after the recent two-game stretch.
They鈥檝e struggled defensively against top offenses.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 probably a combination of things,鈥� Thibodeau said of his team鈥檚 defense. 鈥淥ne, they鈥檙e elite and I think the volume 3-point shooting; you can do a good job, it just takes two or three minutes of not getting it right and they can go on a run on you.鈥�
Thibodeau knows the defense needs to get fixed to compete.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something we鈥檝e got to continually work on,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the test of the league.鈥�
Towns said getting close against Boston isn鈥檛 good enough.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a work in progress,鈥� he said after the two-game stint. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be a work in progress all season until the day we step into the postseason.鈥�
Boston beat New York by 23 and 27 points, respectively, in the first two games this season.
AP NBA:
Ken Powtak, The Associated Press
