Josh Hart says Knicks have to 'fight through' fatigue to overcome sluggish start to season

The Knicks had a grueling and long run to their first championship in over 50 years, and it's clear that it's affected them at the start of this new season.Following their 98-93 loss to the 76ers on Friday night, New York is now 2-4 through their first six games. While the Knicks have played a ton of quality opponents, including the Sixers twice, it's the way they've looked in their losses that has raised eyebrows. Take Friday, for example. Philadelphia took advantage of eight first-half turnovers and decimated the Knicks' defense in the paint, putting up an efficient 55 percent from the field. The first quarter, especially, saw the 76ers eat well from near the basket, where they shot 6-for-8.The Knicks took away the 76ers' paint shots in the second half, and that allowed them to make a comeback -- even taking a one-point lead late in the fourth -- but it wasn't enough. They could not overcome that sluggish start. “Today, we looked like a team that was at the end of a road trip," Karl-Anthony Towns said of the team's energy after the loss. "We got to find that gear, got to find that energy. I thought we did a great job in the fourth quarter of finding that gear, just getting out of that quicksand…to do that, it puts us in that position where you gotta make some magic happen, and we just didn’t have enough magic today to get back and win the game tonight.""It’s a new year. The flow’s tougher. The ball gets stagnant, and I think that’s a little bit from fatigue," Josh Hart said. "Mentally, you know what to do, but you’re trying to get your body to that point. That’s part of it. Have to be more deliberate with cuts and movements, and taking care of the ball."Hart was asked to elaborate on the fatigue, and the Knicks starter simply said the team, physically, has to catch up with their mental processes."We all feel the fatigue. We have to fight through it," he said. "It’s six games in. We have to try and find a way to get our bodies ready to play every day. Mentally, we’re there. We just have to find it physically."Jalen Brunson, who led the team with 24 points and whose three-pointer gave the Knicks that late lead, was asked about Hart's comments and responded in typical Brunson fashion."Josh said he feels the fatigue? Well, Josh is old as s--t," Brunson quipped.While the Knicks captain may not admit to any physical fatigue, it's hard not to believe the team is feeling it in some capacity. Most of the championship team is back, and many played deeper into an NBA season than they've played in before, not to mention the extra game that helped them capture the NBA Cup a year ago. The numerous second-half comebacks in the playoffs also put a strain on what was a magical run, but it adds up. This team has had a shorter offseason than any other team in the NBA aside from the Spurs. Fatigue or not, Brunson knows the Knicks can be better, and it starts with limiting the turnovers."Being hesitant, sometimes, can put you into a position where you want to make the right play, but you don’t want to turn the ball over. At that point, it turns into a home run pass or something like that," Brunson explained. "We have the right intentions; we have to be confident in the decision-making. Don’t be afraid to fail. We have the confidence in this locker room. We all work hard, we see it every day. Everything will fall into place as it should be." The Knicks will look to get back on track when they take on the winless Nets at home on Monday.