The starting five that won the New York Knicks their first championship in 53 years didn't fare so well against the Philadelphia 76ers. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges struggled as a unit, and their collective inefficiency was a main reason they dropped that first game.
Of the 19 different combinations Coach Mike Brown used, those five saw a combined 12 minutes, but had an offensive rating of 54.6, according to NBA.com's Advanced Stats page.
That unit was essentially outplayed by one where Drummond replaced KAT and Deuce McBride replaced Hart. That group had an 83.3 OFFRTG in six minutes. Not great, but still better than Brown's main group.
On the flip side, a big reason the Sixers were able to take that game and essentially overcome a double-digit lead was that their stars worked together cohesively, despite it being the first time that unit linked up. LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J. Edgecombe played 16 minutes together and had a 93.9 OFFRTG.
As the schedule flips to Boston, the Knicks' starting five again gets to face a revamped group and test themselves early on in this repeat bid.
Correcting course against Boston
It isn't the worst thing in the world to be outplayed by that Sixers squad in the season opener. Especially since the regular season will be about seeing what works and what doesn't. Plus, the game itself won't define that outcome, but by the fact that the Knicks got to rock those new championship rings for the first time and hanging a championship banner at the Garden.
Even still, Boston will be an intriguing test for coach Brown's main unit. The Celtics, still trying to figure out their identity in the post-Jaylen Brown era, surrendered a 22-point lead to the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons went on a 23-0 run late and won 121-113.
The big hope is that those five can gel the way they did last year, when they had a 115 OFFRTG. If Boston's defense continues to have issues as it did in its first game, it could be a great time for the Knicks to get on track.
Most notably, the captain, Jalen Brunson, who was inefficient in the opener, going 6-for-19 for 21 points. Then there's OG Anunoby. Anunoby was brick city in Game 1, going 1-for-9 from beyond the arc and 3-for-12 in 31 minutes. He had just 10 points.
Brunson and Anunoby playing better together on the floor will make a world of difference against Boston, and the rest of the season in general. They spent 27 minutes together and had an uncharacteristic 72.1 OFFRTG. Last year it was 119.3.
Obviously, 2025/2026 was a much larger sample size, but it's a reference point for how bad they were. The two of them are much too good to play that poorly forever, so it feels like a matter of time before they break out.
The Knicks played the Celtics well last year, too. Boston is a little different, of course. Just replace Brown with Jayson Tatum, but last year, Towns, Anunoby, Hart, Bridges, and Brunson had a 146.5 OFFRTG against Boston. That's the kind of firepower they're hoping to have against them this time around, and they're looking for a positive reversion to the mean after a poor showing against the Sixers.
Overall, it is still too early to assess the main unit as a whole. It was one poor showing on an emotional night. Plenty of time remains to correct course when the games really matter. It is still the first season of the week, after all.
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