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In each of the Knicks’ losses, it has been something new. A different sign that captures how they’re still — even six games and four defeats into the season — a step behind opponents at the start of their title defense, even with the same starting lineup and most of the same rotation intact from last year.

There was the entire game opening night, when head coach Mike Brown said it looked like the Knicks were “ running in mud .” There was the third quarter against the Celtics . The fourth-quarter collapse against the Magic , too. And then Friday night, it was the Knicks’ start, when they trailed by double digits in the first quarter en route to their 98-93 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia.

It marked their fewest points in an opening frame this season. It served as the latest reminder of a potentially concerning trend in a start to the year already filled with them.…