The Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 106-100 on Tuesday night in the season opener at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson shot just 6-of-19 from the field, including 1-for-5 in the fourth quarter, on a night when the Knicks received their championship rings.
Knicks coach Mike Brown said he would have taken a win, but he would not have been happy with it. He acknowledged that relying on late-game magic or the feel-good vibes of ring night would not be enough to start the season on a positive note.
“If Jalen Brunson hits those shots down the stretch and we win, for me personally as their coach, there’s going to be something inside of me that wished it wouldn’t happen,” Brown said. “It’s almost like you’re playing with fire and you ended up winning that time without any water or one of them fire blankets to cover the fire.”
Brunson finished with 21 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Brunson addresses the Garden crowd
Before the opener, Brunson, usually the one to bail out the Knicks, addressed the Madison Square Garden crowd as the team received its rings. Before the banner unveiling, he thanked Knicks fans for not leaving during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, when New York trailed by 29 points in the third quarter.
With so much emotion in the air, it would have seemed fitting for him to put on his cape again to torment the 76ers. Instead, he and his teammates struggled throughout the night.
“I think it’s good for us to get knocked down off the mountain, humble ourselves, put our egos in check,” Brunson said. “I’ve told you guys since day one, whatever happens the first couple of weeks of the season, I’m not sure that’s who we really are.”
An ugly game for New York
Brown called it an “ugly” game, and it was certainly a slog. Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble before becoming the lone source of consistent offence in the fourth quarter. He scored 10 of his 19 points in that period. The Knicks shot 37% overall and 33% from 3-point range.
Brown kept returning to the team’s process after the game and noted that a win would not have made him feel better about what he saw.
“We put ourselves in a hole not doing the other little things and, you know, sometimes it works at the end of the game, sometimes it doesn’t,” Brown said.
Ring night ceremony
The Knicks spent the early part of the evening reliving the championship run while the 76ers sat and waited. Brown had spoken about the occasion for the previous couple of days and understood the feelings the moment would evoke.
“It’s tough because, knock on wood, it could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Brown said. “You definitely want guys to embrace it, celebrate it with each other, because they went through a lot with the fans. But in the same breath, we have a job to do tonight.”
Knicks dignitaries delivered rings to front office members and the coaching staff. Franchise legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier gave the players their rings, and the widow of Knicks great Willis Reed handed Brown his ring, producing a rousing ovation. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Bill Bradley, members of previous Knicks championship teams, also took part in the pregame ceremony.
Knicks offer no excuses
The players acknowledged the atmosphere was different. They credited the 76ers for coming back from an early deficit to take control of the game late, rather than making excuses. Brown and the players said they were a step slow, and it showed in how the 76ers got out and created opportunities the Knicks could not match.
“They’re really good and they made things difficult for us. Obvious for me, shots weren’t falling,” Brunson said. “We can make all the excuses in the world. Like I said, I’m just happy we can move forward now.”