Jaylen Brown scored 22 points in 17 minutes as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 120-97 on Monday night in the preseason opener for both teams.
Brown did all of his scoring in the first half, shooting 8 of 13 from the field as Philadelphia built a 72-58 halftime lead. He also had two rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot.
VJ Edgecombe added 12 points and seven assists for Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James, and Anfernee Simons. The 76ers remained in control after halftime and finished with a 23-point victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Jalen Brunson led New York’s regular rotation with 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists. OG Anunoby also scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with five points and five rebounds in limited minutes.
Philadelphia shot 42.3% from the field and made 16 3-pointers. The 76ers also recorded 29 assists while turning the ball over just eight times.
The matchup marked the first preseason action for a Knicks team coming off a championship season. New York used the game to give its starters limited minutes while evaluating its bench and training-camp roster.
Brown made an immediate impact in his Philadelphia preseason debut, helping the 76ers establish their lead before sitting out the second half.
“He looked great,” Edgecombe said of Brown. “Everybody knows what JB can do, and it’s just building … now it’s time to get ready for the next game.”
The Knicks return home Thursday to face the Washington Wizards. Philadelphia visits the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
Watch the full game highlights of the preseason game on YouTube.
