The Knicks are feeling the sting of early-season challenges.

They’ve consistently struggled against teams that apply intense pressure on ball handlers, particularly those with agile and swift guards.

Lacking exceptional speed and agility, the Knicks often find themselves disrupted by physical play, which can throw them off their game.

Despite overcoming such obstacles in victorious matches against the Magic and Spurs during the NBA Cup semifinals and finals, the Knicks’ progress has hit a snag. They have dropped two of their last three games, specifically against the 76ers and Timberwolves, where physical play proved to be a significant hurdle.

“Not great,” remarked Josh Hart regarding their performance against the Timberwolves. “They did a good job of pressuring the ball. It really took us out of our rhythm. Credit to them, they played well, and we didn’t meet the mark today.”

It has resulted in an uptick in turnovers. They committed 18 and 19 turnovers, respectively, in the two losses to the 76ers and Timberwolves. For the season, they average just 13.7. 

The 76ers had a 14-point advantage in points scored off turnovers. It was less glaring against the Timberwolves, though they still had a two-point advantage on the Knicks and used the turnovers to stymie Knicks comeback attempts. 

Hart led the way with six turnovers. It is where — beyond scoring — Jalen Brunson’s absence was next felt the most as their orchestrator.

In the Knicks’ two previous games before Tuesday, Brunson did not commit a single turnover — recording 69 points and 17 assists in that stretch. 

“It’s gonna be hard to win on the road if you have 19 turnovers for 22 points off those turnovers,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after Tuesday’s game. “And part of it — those turnovers led to easy baskets in transition. … Give Minnesota credit, because they brought a lot of physicality to the game and created a lot of those turnovers.” 

The Knicks complained to officials for fouls instead of matching the Timberwolves’ physicality. Frustration boiled over in the third quarter, when Hart was given a flagrant 1 for hitting out at Rudy Gobert’s knees. Hart had been knocked to the ground battling for a rebound with Gobert and thought he was fouled. 

That flagrant was the wrong type of aggression the Knicks needed. 

“I talked to all of our vets,” Brown said. “The officials, they’re not gonna help you win the game. They’re human. They’re gonna make mistakes out there. And we, as a team, starting with me, we have to try to leave the referees alone, because we’re good enough to still go win games.”