Knicks Hampered by Slowed Pace in Season-Opening Loss to 76ers

The New York Knicks opened their season with a 106-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden, a defeat coach Mike Brown attributed to a lack of pace and energy.

"All throughout the game, it looked like we were running in mud," Brown stated. The Knicks appeared drained in the immediate aftermath of their championship banner and ring ceremony prior to the game.

A significant factor in the loss was the Knicks' transition defense, which struggled to contain the 76ers' speedy backcourt, notably Tyrese Maxey, who led all scorers with 28 points. The 76ers doubled their fast-break points from 9 in the first half to 19 in the second.

"That's where the game was won and lost, especially in the third quarter when our starters were out there," Brown said.

The offensive side of the ball also suffered from a lack of fluidity. The ball movement and off-ball cutting that characterized their championship run were notably absent, leading to stagnant offense. The team aimed for 20 "sprays"—drives into the paint resulting in kickout 3-pointers—but managed only seven.

This stagnation contributed to a poor shooting performance, with the Knicks shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Key players OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, who often benefit from strong offensive movement, struggled individually, combining to shoot 5-for-20 from the field and 1-for-11 from three-point range.

"Part of us looking like we were running in mud was our spacing wasn’t great," Brown added. "We were walking everywhere, which hurt our spacing."

Guard Jalen Brunson acknowledged the issues, saying, "Transition defense, yeah. Our offense, I think we were good in spurts. But it’s not good enough."