Coming into the second game of a four-game road trip, the New York Knicks easily took down the Portland Trail Blazers. However, they went on to lose their next two against the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, two teams playing below their expectations that New York could’ve defeated. To make matters more challenging, Jalen Brunson went down with an ankle sprain in the midst of a stretch where he scored more than 20 points in 21 straight games.

Without their leading scorer, the Knicks turned to Karl-Anthony Towns for scoring production in Saturday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. The All-Star center started the game hot, scoring 12 in the first half. He scored an additional 11 in the second, before airballing two crucial three-point shots late in the fourth quarter. If Towns got his shots to fall, he could’ve cut down the Suns' lead that Devin Booker helped them build with his 29-point performance, but New York ultimately lost its third straight game, and its second to Phoenix this month.

The loss marks the Knicks' eighth in their last 10 games. That pushed them down to third in the Eastern Conference standings, with the Boston Celtics claiming second place and the Detroit Pistons remaining in first. Needless to say, the Knicks have hit a roadblock that could make or break their season. They can overcome this rough stretch if they are willing to make some changes.

My Hottest Take: Mike Brown Should Test the entire team to see if they're willing to step it up.

I believe that if the Knicks want to return to their winning ways, head coach Mike Brown will need to devise a plan for success. The plan will involve testing the team to see whether they can change their ways when facing more formidable opponents. The biggest hurdles will involve shooting threes more efficiently and prioritizing better ball movement.

This would involve getting Towns out of the recent slump he’s been in, where he's had some great games and some forgettable ones. For instance, he had six points against the Pistons earlier this month and less than 20 against the Kings and Warriors. Those numbers aren't enough when the team relies heavily on him as their secondary superstar. What Towns should prioritize going forward is better shooting and defense against big men of his size, so he can score more often.

Secondly, Brown should expect more consistency from forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, who haven’t been playing poorly but aren't doing enough to win. Take Bridges, for example: he’s had three games recently where he scored less than 15 points and made only two three-pointers. If the Knicks are paying for his $150 million contract, they need to see more production from him, especially on the offensive end.

The bench is another area that must step up against tough competition, considering nobody scored in double figures against Phoenix. That realistically should never be the case when the Knicks have Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek and Landry Shamet coming off the bench. Each of those players can shoot threes very well and has shown what they are capable of during crucial moments. When one of those guys gets going, they can shoot the lights out from beyond the arc.

Before You Leave: The Knicks have a chance to get back on track before January ends

Even though New York is facing a grim three-game losing streak, it can still win some games before the end of January. They take on the 17-26 Dallas Mavericks on Monday, allowing them to snap this losing streak. The Knicks will then host the Brooklyn Nets before traveling to Philadelphia to face the 76ers. I’m more worried about the 76ers game since the Knicks have already lost to them once this season. After that, New York can redeem itself in a rematch with the Kings before taking on the Toronto Raptors and the Trail Blazers.

By then, Brunson might be back, as his ankle injury is not overly severe, listed as day-to-day. If the All-Star guard is back in action, that will be a good sign for the Knicks with more than a month left before the All-Star break.