Philadelphia beat the Knicks 120-97 in its preseason opener on October 5, with Jaylen Brown scoring 22 points in 17 minutes and the bench outscoring the starters 77-43. The win was overshadowed by Ariel Hukporti, who left the game with a leg injury that Nick Nurse called an Achilles issue, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Gina Mizell, with imaging set for the next day.
What exactly happened to Ariel Hukporti?
He left the game early after going down and grabbing his right ankle area. The 76ers logged his status as Day-To-Day three separate times within a single day, moving from an ankle issue to a calf issue to a lower leg issue. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Gina Mizell reported that Nick Nurse called it an Achilles injury, with imaging scheduled for the next day.
Why did the bench outscore the starters so badly?
Philadelphia's reserves put up 77 points to the starters' 43. Dillon Jones (+21 in 18 minutes), Caleb Love (+18 in 24 minutes) and Saint Thomas (+17 in 15 minutes) ran the second unit, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Justin Edwards and Labaron Philon were the only starters who saw real minutes with Embiid, Maxey and James out.
Why was Jaylen Brown only on the floor for 17 minutes?
Brown went 8-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from three for 22 points in 17 minutes, finishing plus-7. With Embiid, Maxey, Simons, Bona, Fall and LeBron all sitting out, per the Inquirer's Gina Mizell, Nick Nurse had no reason to push his minutes in a preseason opener Philadelphia led by as many as 14.
Who else sat out the opener, and does it matter?
LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Anfernee Simons, Adem Bona and Tacko Fall were all held out, per the Inquirer's Gina Mizell. Four of those absences are listed Day-To-Day with an expected return of October 8, so this result says little about the group that will actually open the regular season.
When do the Sixers play again?
Philadelphia is at the Nets on October 8, then at the Celtics on October 10 and home against Boston again on October 16, before the regular-season opener at the Knicks on October 20 — the same team that swept the Sixers out of last season's playoffs. Preseason minutes stay light until then.
Did Ariel Hukporti suffer an Achilles injury?
Nick Nurse described it that way, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Gina Mizell, but the team's own injury log still lists him as Day-To-Day with a leg issue pending imaging.
Who started for the 76ers in the preseason opener against the Knicks?
VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown were the only regulars on the floor, with James, Embiid, Maxey, Simons, Bona and Fall all held out.
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