The defense of the title starts tonight at Madison Square Garden against the 76ers, on national television, with Josh Hart cleared on Monday after a week of ankle updates. Philadelphia beat New York 97-120 in a preseason meeting on October 5, and the Knicks have had four days to think about it.
Hart is in
The last injury question got answered Monday. Josh Hart moved from day-to-day to cleared, which means Mike Brown opens with his full core: Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns and Hart. Hart averaged 12.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in 66 games last season and shot 41.3 percent from three. The Knicks carry no other injuries into opening night.
Ring night, then business
The 76ers come to the Garden tonight on NBC and Peacock. The New York Post called it a 'kind of weird' ring night, and Mike Vaccaro wrote that fans have one last championship moment before the real work begins. Philadelphia went 45-37 last season with a net rating a hair under zero, but the Post's Jared Schwartz has described this version as a superteam built around LeBron James, and the Knicks lost to them by 23 two weeks ago in exhibition play. Anfernee Simons (hamstring) and Adem Bona (foot) are not yet cleared for Philadelphia.
Center is thinner
Tony Bradley went to Utah on waivers, Drew Eubanks tore a pectoral, and Bruce Brown was waived on October 17. That leaves Towns, Andre Drummond and James Wiseman as the entire center group. The Post's Stefan Bondy reported that the center picture will look different on opening night. Wiseman had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the preseason blowout in Toronto, so the audition is already under way.
Towns still waiting
The extension talks paused on October 9 have not restarted, and nothing new has surfaced since Towns voiced his frustration on October 11. The payroll sits at $227.7 million, with Towns at $57.1 million the biggest line. The season opens with the team's most expensive player unsigned past his current deal.
The schedule bites fast
Tonight is the easy part of the week. Boston on Prime Video comes Friday, October 23, then Orlando on the 25th and Detroit on the 27th. Four games in eight days against three playoff-caliber opponents. A loss tonight to the team that embarrassed them in preseason would set the tone for all of it.
Is Josh Hart playing in the Knicks opener vs the 76ers?
Yes. Hart was cleared on October 19 after being listed day-to-day with a right ankle issue, and the Knicks have no other players on the injury report.
Who plays center for the Knicks after Tony Bradley was waived?
Karl-Anthony Towns starts, with Andre Drummond and James Wiseman as the only other centers on the 17-man roster. Bradley was claimed by the Jazz and Drew Eubanks was waived after a torn pectoral.
