The New York Knicks opened their preseason with a 120-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 5, 2026, struggling from long range on a night where both teams rested several star players.
Jaylen Brown Dominates First Half in Sixers Debut
Playing in his first game since joining Philadelphia, Jaylen Brown put on a first-half clinic against the defending champions. The five-time All-Star finished the opening two quarters with 22 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and hitting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc in just under 17 minutes of action. Philadelphia had acquired Brown by trading away a couple of draft picks and Paul George.
Brown picked apart New York’s defense by forcing switches and attacking the paint before taking a seat on the bench for the entire second half. Nick Nurse praised the forward’s readiness after the whistle, noting how quickly he has integrated into the squad alongside other offseason additions like LeBron James, who signed a two-year deal worth about $8 million after considering several teams following his time with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Knicks Struggle From Long Range and Drop Preseason Opener
While Philadelphia shot efficiently, the Knicks struggled to find any rhythm from the perimeter. New York finished the night shooting a dismal 8-of-41 from three-point range. Jalen Brunson scored the game’s opening points in his first game back since July surgery on his left wrist, playing 14 minutes and 51 seconds while scoring 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three.
New York head coach Mike Brown utilized twenty different players during the contest, spreading minutes across the roster while keeping his primary rotation limited compared to under Tom Thibodeau, where Josh Hart dropped from a league-leading 37.6 minutes per game down to 30.2, and Mikal Bridges dropped from 37 down to 32.8. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed five points, five rebounds, and two assists in roughly 15 minutes of play.
Ariel Hukporti Exits Early With Achilles Injury
The victory was overshadowed by a significant health scare for the 76ers in the first quarter. Center Ariel Hukporti suffered a non-contact right Achilles tendon injury just over five minutes into the game and required heavy assistance from teammates to limp to the sideline.
Nurse addressed the injury after the final buzzer, noting that the center was scheduled to undergo imaging on Tuesday.
Reserves Showcase Roles as Bench Units Trade Minutes
With major stars like Joel Embiid, LeBron James, and Tyrese Maxey watching from the sideline in street clothes alongside other sidelined players including Ansimons, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona due to a left foot sprain, and Tacko Fall due to a left hip strain, both benches absorbed heavy minutes in the second half. VJ Edgecombe made a strong impression alongside Brown, tallying 12 points and seven assists with zero turnovers in 20 minutes.
For the Knicks, Andre Drummond made his unofficial debut filling in at former Knick Mitchell Robinson, grabbing rebounds and getting involved on the offensive end by trying to take his man off the dribble from 15 feet and launching from three-point range during about 12 minutes of action, while James Wiseman played about nine minutes. Caleb Love paced the Philadelphia bench unit in the second half, pouring in 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting, supported by cameos from players like Jameer Nelson Jr., Saint Thomas, Jabari Walker, Kevin McCullar Jr., Tyler Nickel, Tony Bradley, Jaden Akins, and Pacôme Dadiet.
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