These Knicks have lost the clutch gene that defined their title run

Detailed summary

The Knicks have nerves of steel, right? They have Captain Clutch. They rise when pressure mounts. Their opponents cower underneath the Knicks’ poise.

INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Brown had said it a few times already this season about late-game failures, just as he repeated it Friday night after the Knicks lost another close game to the Pacers:

In this instance, Brown was referring to a missed fadeaway from Karl-Anthony Towns at the buzzer. It would’ve tied the score. Instead, the ball bounced off the rim, and Brown went to his media availability to lament about his usual: turnovers, free-throw discrepancies, physicality.

Although those factors have played a role in the Knicks’ disappointing start, the real reason for the humdrum 6-6 record is the area Brown has often glossed over: crunch-time ineptitude.

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