Before today’s 99-84 preseason win over Philadelphia in Abu Dhabi, we expected one surprise in the Knicks’ starting lineup. Instead, we got two. First, Mike Brown tapped Mitchell Robinson as his fifth starter, pushing Josh Hart to the bench; then Coach Brown subbed sophomore Pacôme Dadiet for the injured OG Anunoby, rounding out a group that included Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and Jalen Brunson.

The Sixers’ first five included Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow, and Adem Bona. Less than a murderer’s row, they managed to keep pace with the Knickerbockers early on, as the two teams traded blows through a tight first quarter.

Dadiet got a number of touches to start, probably to attract some trade-partner attention. The Frenchman opened the scoring and stayed aggressive early, but finished with an underwhelming stat line of four points, two boards, and two turnovers while shooting 1-of-6 (0-5 from deep) in 14 minutes.

All-Star KAT mixed post work with trips to the line. Beside him in the frontcourt, Mitch looked season-ready, blocking Maxey, cleaning the glass, and finishing a dunk off an offensive rebound.

Off the bench, Miles McBride provided a lift, drilling a deep three and knocking down midrange looks to stretch the lead to 25–19. But a late flurry from Maxey (including a steal and transition bucket plus free throws) allowed Philly to close Q1 on a 6–0 run, knotting the game at 25.

Not quite ready for primetime, New York’s defense allowed Philly to score 24 of their first 27 points in the paint. And the game took a worrisome turn when Hart suffered an injury to his back early in the second frame. He limped to the locker room. Between the demotion and an early injury, it can’t be the start to the 2025-26 campaign Josh was hoping for.

The second quarter was all Knicks. Robinson dominated the boards, Bridges drilled a pair of threes and a midrange jumper, and Towns asserted himself with a dunk, free throws, and second-chance points. Brunson’s drives and free throws steadied the backcourt, while McBride’s hustle helped stretch the lead. Despite Maxey’s attempt to ignite a comeback, New York’s balance gave them a 53–43 halftime cushion.

Brown wants 40+ threes per game, and the Knicks let 19 fly by halftime. Bridges brought the ball up at times (to mixed results), perhaps part of Brown’s plan to speed things up. Neither team shot well, but New York’s 4-for-19 from deep dwarfed Philly’s 1-for-20. The Knicks owned the glass 31–25, including 10 offensive boards, and turned stops into a 15–5 fast-break edge, more than enough to seize control by the break.

The Knicks blew the game open in the third, outscoring Philly 28–14. Malcolm Brogdon checked in midway through the frame and immediately got to work, draining a deep three, setting up Ariel Hukporti inside, and even picking off a pass from Kennedy Chandler. Hukporti rewarded the minutes with dunks and put-backs, while Garrison Mathews buried multiple threes to keep the floor spaced.

McBride and Clarkson chipped in with buckets around the rim, and the Knicks’ defense forced a string of bad Sixers possessions. By the time Brogdon capped the quarter with another assist and Mathews drilled from deep (a perfect 3-for-3 from deep so far), New York had stretched what was once a scrappy contest to an 81-57 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Brown let everybody else play, including sophomore Kevin McCullar, Jr. and Alex Len. Philly outscored them 14-7 by midway through the quarter, but even when Maxey’s replacements strung together a few buckets, the Knicks’ depth and pace kept them ahead to the final horn.

New York hangs around to face the Sixers again on Saturday. Expect the same results. Enjoy your evening, Knicks fans.