NEW YORK — Knicks coach Mike Brown would’ve taken the win against the Philadelphia 76ers — but wouldn’t have been happy with it, acknowledging that relying on late-game magic or the feel-good vibes of ring night wouldn’t be enough to start the season on a positive note.
Before Tuesday night’s opener, Jalen Brunson, usually the balm to bail out the Knicks, addressed the Madison Square Garden crowd as the team received its championship rings. Before the banner unveiling, Brunson thanked Knicks fans for not leaving during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, when New York trailed by 29 points in the third quarter.
With all the emotion in the air, it would seem fitting for him to put on his cape again to torment the 76ers. But Brunson shot just 6-of-19 from the field — including 1-for-5 in the fourth quarter — as the 76ers came away with a 106-100 win.
“If Jalen Brunson hits those shots down the stretch and we win, for me personally as their coach, there’s going to be something inside of me that wished it wouldn’t happen,” Brown said. “It’s almost like you’re playing with fire and you ended up winning that time without any water or one of them fire blankets to cover the fire.”
Brunson finished with 21 points, five rebounds and three assists.
“I think it’s good for us to get knocked down off the mountain, humble ourselves, put our egos in check,” Brunson said. “I’ve told you guys since day one, whatever happens the first couple of weeks of the season, I’m not sure that’s who we really are.”
Brown called it an “ugly” game and it certainly was a slog. Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble before being the lone source of consistent offense in the fourth (10 of his 19 points came in that quarter) as the Knicks shot 37% overall and 33% from 3-point range.
It was a reason Brown kept harping on the team’s process after the game, noting the result wouldn’t have made him feel better about what he saw.
“We put ourselves in a hole not doing the other little things and, you know, sometimes it works at the end of the game, sometimes it doesn’t,” Brown said.
The Knicks spent the early part of the evening reliving the championship run while the 76ers sat and waited. Brown had been talking about it for the past couple of days, understanding the feelings the moment would evoke.
“It’s tough because, knock on wood, it could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Brown said. “You definitely want guys to embrace it, celebrate it with each other, because they went through a lot with the fans. But in the same breath, we have a job to do tonight.”
Knicks dignitaries were on hand to deliver rings to front office members and the coaching staff. Franchise legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier gave the players their rings, and the widow of Knicks great Willis Reed handed Brown’s ring to him, producing a rousing ovation. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Bill Bradley, members of previous Knicks championship teams, also took part in the pregame ceremony.
The players acknowledged it was a different atmosphere and how the 76ers played in coming back from an early deficit to take control of the game late, rather than make excuses. Brown and the players said they were a step slow and it showed in how the 76ers were able to get out and create opportunities the Knicks couldn’t match.
“They’re really good and they made things difficult for us. Obvious for me, shots weren’t falling,” Brunson said. “We can make all the excuses in the world. Like I said, I’m just happy we can move forward now.”
