Philadelphia beat New York 120-97 in the preseason opener, with the bench outproducing the starters 77-43 while Embiid, James and Maxey sat. The five players who closed the fourth quarter were all reserves or rookies, a lineup that says more about camp competition than about this one score.
What actually decided this game?
Philadelphia led by as many as 14 and trailed by as much as 5, with 11 lead changes and 8 ties before an 8-0 run from 6:31 to 4:41 in the first quarter flipped the game. Philadelphia won three of four quarters, outscoring New York 39-26 in the second to take a 72-58 lead at the half, and never let it slip after that.
Who closed out the fourth quarter?
With Embiid, James and Maxey all sitting, per ESPN, the lineup that finished was Caleb Love, Dillon Jones, Justin Edwards, Labaron Philon and Saint Thomas: three reserves and two players fighting for a roster spot. That's not a group Nick Nurse trots out once the games count, but that's the group that earned the fourth quarter last night.
Which Sixers actually graded out well?
Jaylen Brown led everyone with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 3-of-5 from three in just 17 minutes, the best half of work by far. Off the bench, Dillon Jones posted a plus-21 in 18 minutes on 11 points and 6 rebounds, Caleb Love added 15 points and 6 assists at plus-18, and Saint Thomas grabbed 10 rebounds to go with 11 points at plus-17.
Who had the roughest night?
Labaron Philon played 25 minutes and finished at minus-2, the only Sixer in the red. Justin Edwards logged 24 minutes and broke even at zero. Caldwell-Pope scored 7 points in 13 minutes but was only plus-3, the lowest mark among Philadelphia's bigger-minute players. None of it is a crisis in October, but camp competition is exactly why those numbers get noticed.
Does a 120-97 preseason win change anything?
Not the record — preseason games don't count, and Philadelphia is still 0-0 the way that matters. What it does change is leverage: Dillon Jones, Caleb Love and Saint Thomas all made a case with real minutes, while Philon and Edwards have three days before the next game, at the Nets, to answer for a quiet night.
Did Joel Embiid play in the Sixers' preseason opener against the Knicks?
No. Per ESPN, Embiid sat out along with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey, which is why the bench outscored the starters 77-43.
When do the 76ers play next after beating the Knicks?
They're back in preseason action on October 8 at the Nets, three days after this opener.
