The New York Knicks will leave Abu Dhabi with two preseason victories over the Philadelphia 76ers. On Saturday, they defeated Philadelphia by a score of 112-104, improving their preseason record to 2-0 as they head back to the United States.
Josh Hart sat this game out with back spasms and is day-to-day. Hart suffered the injury in the opener, and the initial prognosis was lower back soreness.
OG Anunoby was impactful in his preseason debut
OG Anunoby returned in this game after missing the opener with a sprained hand. Anunoby didn’t miss a beat, as he finished with 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor and 3-for-5 from three-point range.
Anunoby was also a +20 in just 16 minutes of action, making a positive impact on both ends of the floor. With Anunoby in a rhythm, the Knicks are a much better team on both ends, and he will be a massive difference-maker during the season.
Anunoby will be looking to improve on what was a career season last year. He averaged a career-high 18.0 points per game while also averaging 1.5 steals and shooting 37% from beyond the arc.
Jalen Brunson bounced back in his second preseason game
Jalen Brunson struggled mightily in the preseason opener with only six points on 2-for-8 shooting. He looked much better in the second game on Saturday, as he led the team in scoring with 14 points and shot 5-for-10 from the floor.
Brunson was looking to get out in transition much more, which is a staple of new head coach Mike Brown’s offensive scheme. New York played with excellent pace and had stretches where they were able to score at will.
New York shot much better from beyond the arc in this game, knocking down over 43% of their attempts from long range. The ball movement was key to their offensive success, and their scoring attack was firing on all cylinders against the 76ers.
The Knicks’ bench showed glimpses of excellence
The Knicks’ bench got an extended look in this game. Malcolm Brogdon played in the first half of this game after not playing until the second half in the opener, meaning he and a few other key bench guys got a lot of meaningful minutes in this game.
Garrison Mathews, who is fighting for a roster spot, led the bench in scoring with nine points, and Jordan Clarkson added seven of his own. Brogdon contributed five points and four rebounds off the bench and played with great control as a floor general.
With the new depth they now have on the roster, the bench is going to be key to any success they want to have this season. It is still unclear what the full bench unit will look like, but they will have a lot of good options at their disposal.
Overview
The Knicks take both games on the international trip, and now they will head back to New York for three home games before the regular season. They will have some time off before their next game, which is set for Thursday, Oct. 9, against the Minnesota Timberwolves.