Philadelphia walked out of the Garden with the first swing in this season series, and the Knicks now get almost no time to adjust. Friday’s rematch is less about revenge than about whether New York can find a cleaner, more flexible way to handle the 76ers the second time around.
The opener went to Philadelphia, 106-100, behind Tyrese Maxey’s 28 points and 19 from Jaylen Brown. Brown was listed as questionable with left knee soreness on Thursday’s injury report, which means the Knicks can’t build their whole approach on the idea that he’ll be available.
That uncertainty is exactly why OG Anunoby matters so much in this matchup. He put up 23 points against Chicago on Wednesday, helping New York erase a 19-point deficit, and his biggest value Friday may come on the defensive end as he bounces between assignments. Maxey’s burst is the obvious problem, but Philadelphia also has Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid when available.
There isn’t a single defender who can absorb all of that at once. The smartest place to begin is with Anunoby on the most dangerous available perimeter creator, then trusting the rest of the coverage to rotate and switch as needed. That keeps size on the floor without forcing one matchup to define the entire night.
There’s also a case for using Mikal Bridges on the tougher assignment so Anunoby can stay in a helper role. Bridges played just 13 minutes in Chicago, though Mike Brown has not said he plans to make a permanent change to the closing lineup.
Offensively, New York still has enough to score with anybody. Karl-Anthony Towns finished the opener with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson answered his quieter night by pouring in 38 points and seven assists against Chicago. The issue isn’t whether the Knicks can put points on the board.
The issue is whether they can stop living on comebacks. That isn’t a reliable defensive blueprint, especially against a Philadelphia team with multiple ways to attack.
Tipoff for the NBA Cup game is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern in Philadelphia.
Injury statuses can still shift before then, and one October game won’t tell us everything about these teams in April. What it can do is show Brown which combinations actually hold up against Philadelphia’s variety of threats.
In Other News...
Knicks Could Catch A Huge Break Against The 76ers
The Knicks may get an early edge in Friday nights meeting with the 76ers if Philadelphia is forced to shuffle its rotation. Jaylen Brown has been listed as questionable on the NBA injury report because of left knee soreness, a notable development for a team that has counted on him every night so far this season.
If Brown is unable to go, it would be his first absence of the year and a late change the Knicks would surely welcome as they prepare for the 7:30 p.m. EST tip. Even before the game begins, the injury report has put a little extra weight on what should already be a meaningful divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Sent A Clear Rotation Message In Stunning Comeback Win
The Knicks' latest comeback against the Bulls offered more than just another win to celebrate. Down by 19 and headed for trouble early, New York flipped the game behind a deeper rotation look from Mike Brown, who leaned on reserves Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet for a combined 41 points and 15 assists while Jalen Brunson carried the scoring load with 38 points.
It also came with a notable shift in how Brown managed veteran forward Mikal Bridges, whose playing time was noticeably trimmed as the bench earned more trust. Karl-Anthony Towns still supplied 19 points and 13 rebounds despite a brief injury scare, but the broader takeaway was hard to miss: Brown is willing to make tough rotation calls, even in a tight game, and the Knicks may be starting to show a different kind of depth because of it. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Just Put Karl-Anthony Towns Under A Massive Contract Test
Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks are working through an extension conversation that already says plenty about how both sides see his place in New York. Towns is reportedly looking for a deal north of $225 million, while the Knicks have come in closer to $200 million, a gap that leaves room for both leverage and uncertainty as the sides try to line up on a long-term number.
For New York, the bigger issue may be what happens over the course of this season. Towns value to the roster is not really in question, but the front office appears intent on using the year ahead as part of its evaluation, which makes his performance more than just a nightly storyline. The result is a contract situation that feels less like a formality and more like a test of how far the Knicks are willing to go for him. [Read more 🡒]