Mike Brown Shares What Went Wrong in First Half Knicks' Loss to 76ers

The New York Knicks opened up NBA Cup play with a 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks had won their previous two games against the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, but they suffered their second loss to the 76ers. 

Guard Jalen Brunson led the way for New York once again as he finished with 24 points and 6 assists, but the full team effort was not good enough against the veteran 76ers. 

In their early losses, the Knicks have not been good in the second half. They have had multiple games where their performance dipped in the second half, but according to head coach Mike Brown, this is a game in which the Knicks underperformed in the first half. 

“It was almost like, we’re just going to show up and go hoop and not do the little things we need to do to go get a win,” Brown said.  

In the first half, the Knicks were outscored 53-44. In the second half, they outscored Philadelphia 49-45, but the effort was not enough. 

At one point, the 76ers were up by 14 points in this game, and while the Knicks have been known to come back from big deficits, this 76ers team is very hard to come back against. 

They were led by guard Tyrese Maxey’s 27 points, and LeBron James also gave them great production, finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. 

For the Knicks to beat the 76ers this season at any point, it will come down to their full 48-minute performance. A common theme for New York so far this year is their inability to play a good four quarters of basketball. 

The Knicks have found themselves in big deficits in the last two games now, and to compete at the highest level again, that’s going to have to change. 

These are two teams that may face off in the postseason, as both sides are seen as contenders to win the conference. Philadelphia made multiple moves in the offseason to win games like these, and it will be interesting to see if they can sustain this level of success. 

The Knicks will now have to regroup and figure out a way to play more consistent basketball this season. They will also need to find a way to get more production out of some starters like Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby.  

New York’s next game will be at home against a struggling Brooklyn Nets team.