The entire Knicks bench rose to its feet — and with it, the volume inside Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena surged.
There were just over six minutes left in the second quarter of New York’s 113-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, and the purest version of Knicks basketball under Mike Brown had just unfolded.
Sixers forward Justin Edwards attacked the rim, only to be met midair by Guerschon Yabusele. The Knicks’ new backup forward-center — acquired to fill Precious Achiuwa’s role — exploded off the ground and erased the shot with his 6-8, 270-pound frame.
The ball ricocheted to Malcolm Brogdon, who pushed in transition with Jalen Brunson on one wing and Mikal Bridges on the other. Brogdon hit Brunson. Brunson hit Bridges. Bridges rifled it out to Karl-Anthony Towns — then got it back to punctuate the sequence with an uncontested two-handed dunk.
It was a 46–31 Knicks lead — and the clearest early glimpse of Brown’s vision coming to life.
Brown wants the Knicks to play fast. He wants ball movement, floor spacing, pressure defense and organic reads over rigid sets. He wants unpredictability — an offense that pulls from his time in both Sacramento and Golden State.
So far, so good.
These are not the Knicks of old. And while they still have a long road to becoming a true title contender, the foundation for a stylistic shift is already visible — not just in offensive pace, but in identity.
“I thought we played good. We could be better out there,” said Bridges, who finished a perfect 4-of-4 from the field for 10 points. “We were fouling a lot. But we just got to keep learning. It’s preseason. We’re stacking days. I think we did alright.”
It’s a welcomed evolution, though real growing pains are inevitable once the Knicks face fully stocked opponents.
The Sixers again held out Joel Embiid and Paul George, both nursing lingering injuries. Josh Hart was also unavailable for New York after suffering back spasms in Thursday’s opener.
OG Anunoby made his preseason debut after missing Game 1 with a sprained hand and immediately made his presence felt. He drilled three of his five threes, totaled 13 points, and delivered a lob to Mitchell Robinson for a dunk in traffic.
Robinson, who had 16 rebounds in 18 minutes in the opener, continues to play a featured role in Brown’s system. He posted six points and eight boards in just under 14 minutes Saturday and looks poised to take on more offensive responsibility this season after shouldering play-making duties in spurts in the opener.
Brunson also bounced back from his preseason debut, where he shot 2-of-8 from the field. He scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting against Philly, adding two assists and two steals.
As in Game 1, Brown limited his starters’ minutes — no one played more than 17. Compare that to last preseason, when Tom Thibodeau played Bridges 31 minutes and every other starter at least 23 in Game 2.
Minutes aren’t the only change. The philosophy has shifted. The ball is moving more, even if the assist totals haven’t fully caught up. The Knicks were credited with just 16 assists in Saturday’s win, but the eye test showed clear signs of a more dynamic offense.
“Just new system and learning it and learning our players, our concepts and trying to make the right read,” said Bridges. “Not thinking just playing basketball.”
The Knicks now return to Madison Square Garden, where they’ll host the Timberwolves, Wizards and Hornets to close out the preseason.
Soon, the test run will be over. Brown’s blueprint is taking shape — and the Garden is about to get its first real look.
TRADE CANDIDATES
Brogdon, who helped ignite the Knicks’ signature sequence in Game 2, remains a veteran point guard on a non-guaranteed deal. If the Knicks plan to keep both Brogdon and Landry Shamet on the opening night roster, they’ll need to make a move — likely by trading a player on the back end of the rotation.
The most probable candidates: second-year pros Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek.
Dadiet started in Anunoby’s place in the preseason opener but went 0-for-5 from three. In Saturday’s Abu Dhabi finale, he came off the bench, missed his only field goal attempt and picked up two fouls in nine minutes of action.
Kolek was aggressive but inefficient, finishing with four points on eight shot attempts. He did, however, flash his potential with a strong defensive sequence in the second half.
LONG SHOT
Another training camp invitee, Garrison Mathews, faces long odds of making the opening night roster — but the sharpshooter is making the most of his audition. Mathews shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in his preseason debut, then added nine more points on 2-of-4 shooting from deep in Game 2.
