Knicks’ Season Opener Highlighted by Defensive Struggles

The Knicks unveiled a championship banner but didn’t quite bring their game. It felt like they were, as coach Mike Brown put it, “running in mud” throughout their 106-100 loss to the 76ers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

Their lack of pace was particularly evident in transition defense, where they struggled to match the quickness of the 76ers’ backcourt, especially Tyrese Maxey, who led all scorers with 28 points. Brown pointed out that the starters were largely to blame.

“They had nine fast-break points in the first half,” Brown noted. “In the second half, that number jumped to 19. Especially in the third quarter, that’s where the game shifted, particularly with our starters on the floor.”

This sluggishness wasn’t just confined to defense; the Knicks also failed to show the fluid ball movement and off-ball cuts that characterized their successful season last year. Instead, their offense became stagnant.

Ideally, the Knicks aim for around 20 “sprays” per game—drives to the paint leading to kickout three-pointers. On Tuesday, however, they only managed seven.

This lack of offensive rhythm contributed to a poor shooting night, as they shot just 37.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Key players like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges struggled, combining for a dismal 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 explained. “We were walking everywhere, which hurt our spacing.”

It’s not entirely surprising that the Knicks showed these signs of fatigue right after an emotional banner and ring ceremony. At times, they appeared worn out.

“Transition defense, yeah,” acknowledged Jalen Brunson. “Our offense, I think we were good in spurts. But it’s not good enough.”