ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — After a shaky start, the Knicks ripped the 76ers for a 99-84 victory Thursday in their preseason opener, a successful debut for new coach Mike Brown.
Here are four thoughts from the evening:
Starters up and down
No Knicks starter played more than 18 minutes, and their time together was the most important since the best players will be on the court most often when the regular season starts.
It wasn’t a great beginning for the group. They seemed bothered by Philadelphia’s full-court press, and the starters committed five turnovers with just three assists in the opening quarter. Transition defense became an issue.
