Oct 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Today, Jalen Brunson and the defending-champion New York Knicks lost 100-106 to the Philadelphia 76ers on the opening night of the 2026-27 regular season.
After the loss, Brunson addressed the media scrum in the locker room and admitted he believed the team needed this loss to focus on the rest of the season.
“I think it’s good for us to kind of get knocked down off the mountain, humble ourselves, put our egos in check, and see what’s going to happen. I’ve told you guys this since day one: whatever happens in the first couple of weeks of the season shows who you truly are, so let’s see,” Jalen Brunson said.
“I mean, we can make all the excuses in the world about all that stuff, but I mean, if you asked me what I’d rather have: to finish that than have a regular first game and not? I would do that. So, as I said before, I’m just happy we can move forward now,” Brunson also said.
After a heartwarming address to the fans on the Knicks’ banner night, Jalen Brunson followed up with an inefficient performance to close out the franchise’s special night. He finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists, shooting 6-for-19 from the field (31.6% FG) and 1-for-3 from beyond the arc (33.3% 3P).
Brunson also spoke about how special it was to address the fans before the game, but looked at it as something that needs to be gotten out of the way so that the Knicks can focus on this season instead of relishing the past and getting distracted.
Jalen Brunson Reviews First Game Against New-Look 76ers
This 76ers roster was very different from the one the Knicks swept in the 2026 playoffs. Brunson also reflected on what it was like to play against this new-look team.
“Yeah, they’re really good. They made things difficult for us. Obviously, my shots weren’t falling, and for most of us, they weren’t falling either. We got a lot of good looks. We can tweak a lot of things and do better on both sides of the ball. But you’ve got to give them credit. They played well. They came in ready and focused,” Brunson said.
The two sides will meet four times this season, and their next matchup is in ten days (October 30) for the NBA Cup. Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will hope to make adjustments to avoid repeating this loss in that fixture.