The New York Knicks opened their preseason with a 120-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in a preview of opening night.

Sort of.

While the Knicks played their five starters, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns, the 76ers sat LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid.

Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe did take the floor for the Sixers, and Brown had his way with the Knicks, scoring 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

While the game was competitive in the first quarter and into the second, once the starters were taken out for the Knicks, the reserves were easily played off the floor.

After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown said his team had a lack of physicality against the Sixers.

Brown said that it was the whole roster that had a lack of physicality, saying they weren’t great on the ball, with their positioning, and with their rebounding. He believes they’ll clean up a lot of things after watching film, but that he can’t help with the physicality, saying that it’s on the players to find that.

“We have to do a better job with the physicality, from top to bottom.”

The 76ers forced more turnovers and had more rebounds, though the Knicks did have more offensive rebounds.

It’s preseason, and the Knicks are coming off a championship. That’s not the greatest excuse, but it would certainly explain why the team didn’t feel the need to show full physicality against an undermanned 76ers squad with something to prove.

The fact that they were against an undermanned 76ers squad probably didn’t help matters. Getting up for games that is mostly against reserves is always difficult, and with these two teams set to meet on opening night in just two weeks, the Knicks probably didn’t feel much incentive to show the 76ers much of their hand.

The lack of physicality was a point of emphasis from Mike Brown, which means it’s something that will be addressed with the players. If that same lack of physicality continues to present itself throughout the preseason heading into the regular season, then there might be some worry.

But when the season begins on October 20 and the Knicks