The New York Knicks are clearly in a rebuilding year. Everyone and their grandmother, pet dogs, and pet fish know that. However, that does not mean they aren't looking to improve on a daily basis.

One area in which the Knicks need significant improvement is their performance in third quarters.

It has not been great this year, and head coach David Fizdale wants to get to the bottom of it after New York lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night largely due to third-quarter doldrums:

“For whatever reason, we are hitting the wall in that third quarter,” said Fizdale, according to The Associated Press. “That's our new quarter for some reason. We look fatigued and we stop moving the ball. Everything that was sharp in the first half, kind of fades out in the second. We have to figure it out.”

The Knicks were outscored 27-20 in the third quarter of their 114-107 loss. They also had a double-digit lead in the first half, but the Hawks whittled the deficit down to nine at halftime.

Of course, New York is also playing without its best player, as big man Kristaps Porzingis remains out after tearing his ACL last year. Porzingis seems to be on the road to recovery and may return at some point this season, but the Knicks are still hoping to get some things right beforehand.

New York currently owns a record of 9-25 and is on pace to notch its second-worst season since 1963.

The Knicks will play host to the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day.