The Knicks have now learned the hard way that both superb and pitiful shooting displays from three-point range can be found in losing streaks.

Just two days after draining a monstrous 22 threes in a New Year's Eve road loss to the Spurs, New York posed no threat from beyond the arc, missing a ghastly 33-of-42 shots from deep in a flat 111-99 home loss to the Hawks.

While the Knicks played shorthanded, ultimately lacking the size and scoring threats to keep pace with Atlanta, the rough performance at Madison Square Garden couldn't have been anticipated. 

They shot a season-worst 21 percent from three, and were held below 100 points for the first time.

To make matters worse, the Knicks struggled once again to defend with ample physicality and energy. They allowed the Hawks to score 58 points inside the paint, and by committing 15 total turnovers, another 19 points were tacked on in transition.

"If the shot's not falling, where else are we going to hang our hat? It has to be on the defensive end of the floor," Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. "We didn't get it done throughout most of the game tonight… I thought we had some good looks that we normally knock down with the guys that are taking them, but you can't take away from what Atlanta did."

The absences of Karl-Anthony Towns (illness), Josh Hart (ankle), and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) on Friday placed pressure on Jalen Brunson to pull more weight than usual. And while the Knicks' captain embraced the challenge, scoring a game-high 24 points, he contributed to the three-point swoon, making just one on eight attempts.

"We just didn't have it tonight. I know that's a terrible, lame-ass excuse, but we let shot-making affect our overall gameplay," said Brunson, named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December. "That includes our pace, sense of urgency, everything. Just wasn't our solid basketball today."

Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby were fruitless from deep, too, finishing a combined 4 for 17. Miles McBride, thrust into the starting lineup, made a pair of quick first-quarter threes but then missed eight of nine from there.

"There's no excuse, we've just got to be better," Bridges said. "It is what it is, you've got to learn from it and get ready for tomorrow. Obviously we're missing three key guys, but we've got everybody else in this locker room to come in and step up."

The Knicks' low energy through three quarters of action prompted boos from fans, and Brown acknowledged their noise and frustrations. They've now dropped back-to-back games for the first time since losing three straight in late October.