Jaylen Brown made a strong first impression with the Philadelphia 76ers as they opened the preseason with a 120-97 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Making his Philadelphia debut after arriving from the Boston Celtics in the offseason, Brown led the 76ers with 22 points in just 17 minutes. He shot 8-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, and added two rebounds and two assists.
Brown helped Philadelphia build its lead after a competitive opening quarter. The 76ers led 33-32 after the first period before outscoring New York 39-26 in the second to take a 72-58 advantage into halftime.
The new 76ers star was particularly effective during his brief stint, scoring from inside and outside and connecting on three three-pointers. He also converted three of his five free-throw attempts.
V.J. Edgecombe also made an impact for Philadelphia, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 20 minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, another offseason addition, scored seven points and shot 3-of-6 from the field.
Philadelphia received significant contributions from its second unit as well. Caleb Love scored 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, while Jabari Walker posted 11 points and 11 rebounds. Dillon Jones added 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.
The 76ers shot 42% from the field and 35% from three-point range, while assisting on 29 of their 41 made field goals. Philadelphia also held a 53-51 edge on the boards.
New York was led by OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, who each scored 12 points. Anunoby also grabbed six rebounds, while Brunson added four rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with five points, five rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes, while Mikal Bridges contributed three points, three rebounds and three assists.
The Knicks struggled from the perimeter, making just 8-of-41 three-point attempts for a 20% success rate. They shot 38% overall.
Philadelphia maintained its control after halftime, with the teams tied at 21 points apiece in the third quarter before the 76ers pulled away again in the fourth, winning the final period 27-18.
The preseason opener provided an encouraging first outing for Brown in Philadelphia as the 76ers begin integrating him into a roster that also features Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James.
