New York split its three preseason games before Tuesday's opener against Philadelphia, then travels to Boston four days later for its first real measuring stick. Josh Hart is targeting a return from a right ankle issue right as the games start counting.
Opener Arrives
New York's preseason closed last week, and the record that counts starts Tuesday, when the 76ers visit the Garden, carried on Peacock and NBC. The split was rough: a 104-122 loss to Minnesota, a 98-148 blowout at Toronto, then a 122-120 bounce-back over the Raptors. Those results vanish once the ball goes up for real, but they leave Mike Brown a team still finding its footing.
Boston Looms
Four days later, the Knicks travel to Boston, streaming on Prime Video. This is the team New York eliminated on its way to last season's title, and the rivalry has flipped since. A trip to TD Garden in week one is as sharp a gut check as the schedule offers this early.
Hart's Clock
Josh Hart is day-to-day with a right ankle issue, with an estimated return of October 20 — the opener. If that holds, New York gets its full backcourt rotation back right when the games start mattering. If it slips, Brown has to patch minutes on the fly against Philadelphia.
Roster Settles
The bench kept moving right up to tip-off. On October 18, Bruce Brown left the team, a day after Dink Pate was signed and waived within 24 hours. Both moves land with payroll at $227.7 million, well past the luxury cap's steepest tier, and first-round picks already promised to Brooklyn in 2027 and 2029 leave little room to fix a mistake once the games start.
Bottom Line
The record is 0-0, but the stakes start now. Philadelphia Tuesday and Boston four days after are the first real evidence of what this roster can do, with the payroll math already a constraint and Hart's ankle the swing variable.
When do the Knicks' regular season games actually start counting?
The 2026-27 season opens Tuesday, October 20, at home against the 76ers. Everything before that, including last week's split against Minnesota and Toronto, was preseason.
Is Josh Hart expected to play in the opener?
Hart is day-to-day with a right ankle issue, and the current estimate has him back October 20, the night the 76ers visit. That return date lines up with the opener but is not yet confirmed.
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