The Knicks, the *reigning NBA Cup champions*, kicked off their group stage play with a brutal 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. It was an opening statement alright, just not the one you’d expect from a defending champ, especially given how rough that first half looked. Forget about making a splash, New York started this season’s group stage with a total dud.
First Half Nightmare: Shot Selection, Turnovers, and a Shoddy Defense
Man, it was a tough scene out there for New York. They just could not buy a bucket, especially from downtown. It felt like they hit a brick wall trying to get anything going in the paint against the 76ers’ defense, which meant we saw a ton of poor shot selection. Turnovers? Yeah, way too many, and that completely killed any chance of getting into a rhythm.
The numbers don’t lie, either. In the first quarter, the Knicks shot just 40.9 percent from the field, and a dismal 27.3 percent from deep. They coughed up the ball four times. Meanwhile, Philly was rolling: 52.4 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and zero turnovers. Tyrese Maxey was cooking with seven points in the opening frame, and Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe chipped in six points each. OG Anunoby tried to keep the Knicks in it with seven points, including a layup right before the buzzer, but they were still down 29-21 heading into the second.
Things didn’t get much better. New York kept chucking threes, and it clearly wasn’t working. They only managed 14 points in the paint by halftime, while the Sixers had 26. Philly was moving the ball around like a well-oiled machine, racking up 17 assists to the Knicks’ measly 10 in the first half. While all five Knicks starters had at least seven points, the bench was a ghost town except for Miles McBride’s seven points. Landry Shamet went scoreless, missing all three of his attempts from deep in 13 minutes, and Tyler Kolek had two turnovers in just seven minutes. Maxey continued his tear, dropping 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting by the break. Even LeBron James put up a big half with 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists. The Sixers held a 53-44 lead at halftime, even though *they* were only shooting 29.4 percent from beyond the arc. That’s how bad the Knicks’ “shoddy defense” was.
A Fight, But No Finish
Honestly, for how absolutely awful the Knicks played in the first half, it’s wild that they weren’t completely out of it. They showed some serious grit in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to five points after Jalen Brunson went on a flurry, doubling his point total and making it 59-54. The 76ers got sloppy with turnovers, which definitely helped, but they also started hitting some big threes that snuffed out any real run New York tried to make. Brunson kept battling, pouring in 13 points in the quarter, but the Knicks still entered the final frame down by nine. Anfernee Simons buried his third three of the quarter, capping off an impressive 13-point performance in that frame for the 27-year-old.
Philly pushed their lead back into double-digits early in the fourth, but the Knicks just wouldn’t quit. They kept hanging around, refusing to let the 76ers deliver that knockout punch. Karl-Anthony Towns got things going, scoring the team’s first eight points of the quarter. Then Jordan Clarkson, who hadn’t even played a minute in the first three quarters, came off the bench and added four points to get the Knicks within three. The final minutes turned into a defensive slugfest, with every single possession feeling like life or death. New York held Philadelphia scoreless just long enough for Brunson to drain a clutch three-pointer with 1:32 left, giving the Knicks their first lead since the game’s opening minute, 90-89. But then, LeBron James, because of course, hit a fadeaway jumper to snatch the lead right back.
This was just the first game of NBA Cup group stage play. The Knicks have to figure out how to put a full game together and fast if they want to defend their title. They face a critical stretch ahead.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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