NBA

76ers 120, Knicks 97: Scenes from a sleepy scrimmage

October 6, 2026

The New York Knicks opened their preseason campaign with a 120–97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in a low-key scrimmage that still offered flashes of the teams’ evolving rosters. The Knicks leaned heavily on three-point shooting early, with Jalen Brunson—recovering from wrist surgery—showing no rust, sinking two long-range shots to start the game.

Jaylen Brown, now suiting up for the Sixers, dominated the Knicks’ starters with 13 points in the opening quarter, while LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey sat out. Meanwhile, the Knicks’ frontcourt experiment continued with Andre Drummond making his unofficial debut, while rookie Tyler Kolek took on playmaking duties, though both teams’ lackluster defense led to an open floor for easy baskets.

A potential setback emerged when Ariel Hukporti exited early with an injury that could be an Achilles tear, a major blow for a player poised for increased minutes this season. Karl-Anthony Towns, meanwhile, looked sharp in the paint despite ongoing contract uncertainty, while Landry Shamet provided one of the few bright spots for New York with back-to-back three-pointers.