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Knicks defeat 76ers as Mike Brown offers glimpse at starting lineup plans

Head coach Mike Brown won his Knicks preseason debut at the NBA’s Abu Dhabi Games, 99-84, against the Philadelphia 76ers. Miles McBride led the effort with 12 points off the bench, with Karl-Anthony Towns adding 11 points in 17 minutes. 

Mitchell Robinson was in postseason form, scoring seven points and grabbing 16 boards in 18 minutes. Mikal Bridges added 10 while the captain Jalen Brunson had a quiet six points and four assists. 

The Knicks were without OG Anunoby due to a sprained left hand; starting in his place was Pacome Dadiet. Robinson was the fifth starter after much training camp mystery. 

Here are the key takeaways...

-- It sure looked like an overseas preseason opener out of the gates with some ugly turnovers and sloppy play early. A Dadiet offensive rebound and reverse and-one putback was the first bucket for the Knicks this season.

Tyrese Maxey looked in midseason form early with 10 first-quarter points on some quick takes inside. It took some time for New York to find their flow, but eventually Towns got some looks in transition and at the free throw line, scoring seven points in the first frame. 

-- It was McBride who exploded late in the period, hitting a couple threes and a fading two in a confident stint. He played alongside newcomer Jordan Clarkson and Brunson in a sneak peek at a new three-guard set as the teams went into the second tied at 25.

-- As the first ended, Maxey tried to intercept Josh Hart’s dribble, and the Knick wing fell and hurt his lower back, flinging the ball into the stands in the process. The officials ejected Hart, ending his afternoon as he was helped back to the locker room area. After the game, the Knicks confirmed that Hart is dealing with a sore lower back, and the team will wait to see how he feels on Friday before deciding next steps.

-- Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe ignited in the second quarter, going viral for a ludicrous attempted poster over Robinson, and finishing the half with nine points. Both teams kept it tight for most of the half, until the starters returned and got to work.

Brunson slipped inside for a couple floaters while Bridges hit a couple as the Knicks used a 15-6 run to close the half up 53-43 as the Sixers shot 1-20 from three as a team.

-- New York pulled the starters at halftime, letting the second and third units get some real burn after taking the long flight. The three guards fighting for one roster spot - Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon and Garrison Mathews - got in early in the third and shared the court for a strong stretch to extend the league. 

Brogdon hit a three, got a couple paint touches that led to corner threes, and recorded a steal and assist in his first six minutes. Mathews splashed three threes as part of a 22-5 run to give the Knicks an 81-55 advantage after three. 

-- Ariel Hukporti played his only six minutes in the third quarter, scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds in a team-high +13 stint.  

The Knicks coasted from there, playing every member of their extended training camp roster.

Highlights

Up next

The Knicks take on the Sixers once again in Abu Dhabi on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

 

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Roki Sasaki’s dazzling postseason debut comes after rookie season filled with ups and downs

LOS ANGELES — Roki Sasaki dazzled in his postseason pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers, closing out their sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a perfect ninth inning in the NL Wild Card Series.

The youthful looking rookie from Japan celebrated with a beer in his hand and goggles on in the team’s batting cage after their 8-4 victory advanced the Dodgers to the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Dodgers partied in the cage, lit up like a surgery center, rather than their remodeled clubhouse featuring high-tech screens that could be ruined by sprays of beer and Champagne.

Sasaki got Spencer Steer and former Dodger Gavin Lux on swinging strikeouts — with 100-mph pitches — before retiring Austin Hays on a lineout to shortstop that started the celebration.

The Dodgers went without a designated closer during the regular season. Did the 23-year-old from Japan earn the role for the postseason?

“I trust him, and he’s going to be pitching in leverage,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So the more you pitch guys and play guys, you learn more. I don’t think the moment’s going to be too big for Roki.”

It appeared to be too big for Sasaki early in the season. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January, receiving a $6.5 million signing bonus because he was under age 25 and subject to international signing bonus pool rules. Sasaki spent the last four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League

Expectations were high for the pitcher who’s been a dominant force at every other stop in his fast-rising career.

Sasaki made his major league debut with the Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, where he walked five in three innings while throwing just 25 strikes among 56 pitches.

His Dodger Stadium debut on March 29 ended in the second inning he again struggled with his control. He issued four walks and got only five outs while throwing 61 pitches to just 12 batters.

Sasaki came off the 60-day injured list on Sept. 24 and made his first career relief appearance against Arizona. It was his first appearance in the majors since May 9 because of a shoulder injury. All eight of his previous MLB outings were starts, though he did make a few relief appearances during his stint at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

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Jazz Chisholm Jr. a gamer for Yankees in season-saving playoff win over Red Sox

NEW YORK — Left out of the starting lineup for the New York Yankees’ playoff opener, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was understandably unhappy.

Any accomplished player would be. Chisholm just has a different way of blowing off steam.

“I played `MLB: The Show’ and mercy-ruled someone,” he said. “That’s how I get my stress off.”

Back at second base, Chisholm played a huge part in saving the Yankees’ season as they beat the rival Boston Red Sox 4-3 in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series.

And this one was no video game.

“Anything to help us win,” Chisholm said. “All that was clear before I came to the field today. After I left the field yesterday, it is win the next game. It is win or go home for us. It is all about winning.”

The dynamic Chisholm raced all the way home from first base on Austin Wells’ tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and made a couple of critical defensive plays that helped the Yankees push the best-of-three playoff to a decisive Game 3.

“It’s what you expect. He’s a game-changer. He showed his maturity,” New York captain Aaron Judge said. “He showed up at the park today and had the biggest plays for us.”

Afterward, manager Aaron Boone said Chisholm will start Game 3 against rookie left-hander Connelly Early.

A left-handed hitter, Chisholm began Game 1 on the bench with the Yankees facing ace lefty Garrett Crochet. The two-time All-Star entered on defense in the eighth and flied out against left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman with the bases loaded for the second out of the ninth, failing to drive in a run.

That was Chisholm’s only plate appearance in a 3-1 loss that left New York on the brink of elimination.

After the game, Chisholm seemed upset about not starting. His back was turned to reporters while he answered several questions at his locker. Chisholm said Boone texted him to let him know he wouldn’t be in the Game 1 lineup.

“I did see that,” Boone said. “Every player is not going to agree with every decision that I make. I try and help make them understand my thought process and what I am thinking. I did that with Jazz. He is a guy that wears his emotions on his sleeve. So, wasn’t necessarily how I handled it, but I don’t need him to put a happy face on. I need him to go out and play his butt off for us tonight. That’s what I expect to happen.”

Boone said the two had a conversation the day before about the potential move, and he thinks Chisholm understood.

“Jazz and I are good. No concerns that he was going to go out there and get it done,” Boone said after Game 2. “He loves to play. He feels a responsibility to us, his teammates. And, you know, he and I have always been good. Despite what you may think happened yesterday, like, yeah, he’s a gamer, and he likes the stage.”

Amed Rosario played second base in Chisholm’s place and batted fifth. A right-handed hitter, Rosario was 6 for 9 with a home run and a double in his career against Crochet before going 0 for 3 in the playoff opener.

Chisholm is 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a walk against Crochet.

“There is never a problem between me and Aaron Boone. He’s been my manager all year, and I’ve stood behind him all year,” Chisholm said after the Game 2 win. “We always have disagreements. I mean, I played third base this year, and we had a little bit of a disagreement in that."

“But at the end of the day, I always stand with Booney because he always understands where I come from. He knows I am a passionate player. He knows I wear my feelings on my sleeve. He knows I am there to compete.”

New York also put two other dangerous left-handed hitters on the bench against Crochet in Ben Rice and Ryan McMahon. Neither got in the game.

With right-hander Brayan Bello on the mound Wednesday night for the Red Sox, Chisholm was back at second base and batting sixth. Rice was at first base and hit a two-run homer on the first postseason pitch he saw. McMahon played third and went 1 for 3 with a walk.

With the score tied in the seventh, Chisholm saved at least one run with a diving stop to his right of an infield single by pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida. Chisholm also made a tough play to start an inning-ending double play with two on in the third.

There were two outs in the eighth when he worked the count full and drew a walk. Chisholm was running on another 3-2 pitch when Wells pulled a line drive that landed just inside the right-field line and caromed off the low retaining wall in foul territory.

Right fielder Nate Eaton made a strong, accurate throw to the plate, but the speedy Chisholm barely beat it with a headfirst slide.

“He’s a special player. He’s one of the best players in the game. Exciting. One of the best athletes I’ve ever seen,” Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz said. “I knew he was scoring no matter what.”

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SEE IT: Knicks' Josh Hart suffers back injury in preseason meeting with Sixers

Preseason injuries are the last thing any NBA team wants to deal with, but Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart suffered an injury during the first half of Thursday's exhibition match against the Philadelphia 76ers in Abu Dhabi. 

After grabbing a defensive rebound, Hart took a couple of dribbles before falling to the floor. There wasn't much, if any, contact on the play, and Hart stayed down for a few moments before getting helped towards the locker room. 

Hart was also ejected on the play, as he threw the ball in frustration after the whistle blew. 

Following the game, the Knicks classified Hart's issue as a "sore lower back."

Hart, 30, has been an extremely valuable piece for the Kicks since being acquired ruing the 2022-23 season. The Villanova product has averaged 11.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in a Knicks uniform, while showcasing the ability to play anywhere on the floor from point guard to power forward.

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NBA season 2025-26 preview: Five players under most pressure this season

It's become a sports cliché to say "pressure is a privilege."

By that logic, there are a lot of players — the five that follow in particular — who have a lot of privilege this season. There is always pressure in the NBA — pressure to win, but for most players it's more about pressure to keep their job and the paydays coming beyond this season. That pressure hits some players harder than others.

These five players are facing the most pressure in the league this season.

Trae Young

It's not just that Trae Young is playing for his next contract, although it's that, too. Atlanta could have offered Young up to a four-year, $229 million max extension this past summer if it wanted to. Instead, Atlanta's new front office built a roster that, on paper, is the best Young has ever had around him. Kristaps Porzingis is a pick-and-pop big who can also defend the paint, a perfect partner for Young. Nickeil Alexander-Walker to provide more wing defense and shooting. Luke Kennard to space the floor. A healthy Jalen Johnson and an improving Zaccharie Risacher can take some shot creation load off Young. This is a team with top-four finish and deep playoff run potential.

Atlanta is testing the biggest question facing the franchise: Can you build a contender around Trae Young? There are plenty of skeptics around the league, and if this goes sideways, the Hawks can pivot away from Young. If that happens, the market for the four-time All-Star may not be what he hopes. In Young's hands hangs the future direction of the Hawks organization and his next contract.

That's pressure, although on media day he seemed unfazed by it all.

"My focus is on the team. Whatever happens will happen," Young said. "If it doesn't happen, I'm still young and who knows what the future has in store for me."

Kristaps Porzingis

Let's stay in Atlanta with someone else playing for his next contract...

How much money is Kristaps Porzingis worth on the market? When he plays, he's a force — 19.5 points a game, shooting 41.2% from 3-point range last season, while adding 1.5 blocks a night. When Boston won the title two seasons ago, he was key to that run and averaged 20.1 points and 1.9 blocks a night — the Hawks brought him in and put him next to Young to be that guy for a new team.

However, he has played in 60+ games only once in the past seven seasons, and three times in his 10-year NBA career. Can he prove he can stay healthy enough this season and help lift the Hawks to the top four in the East, followed by a deep playoff run? Can he help make the Hawks more than the play-in team they have been in recent years?

Porzingis, 30, also is playing for his next contract. He's making $30.7 million this season and, no doubt, would like a new contract in the range Myles Turner just received from Milwaukee (four years, $109 million). Is he worth it? He's going to have to stay on the court and prove it this season, or next offseason, the offers may be smaller than he imagined.

DeAndre Ayton

DeAndre Ayton understands the pressure on him this season.

"Some people say it's my last leg, some people say it's my last chance," Ayton said at Lakers media day. "This is an opportunity I can say I'm truly not going to take for granted. It's almost like a wounded animal. I feel all the tension, and I know where I'm at. I've been in the gym every day."

Ayton has talent — even last season, in what was perceived as a down year in Portland, he averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, and he is a plus defender in the paint. The questions have been focus — it's not there night-to-night, he can drift through games — and health, he has played 65+ games once in the past four seasons. Ayton's best seasons were in Phoenix, when Chris Paul was pushing him hard but also setting him up for easy buckets in the pick-and-roll. The Lakers are betting LeBron James and Luka Doncic can do that same thing this season and push Ayton to new heights.

The center position has become a mercenary role in the NBA. Unless you're a Jokic/Wembanyama/Towns kind of impact big, teams think they can get 85% of the production for close to the minimum and lean that way.

Ayton is a free agent next summer and he's not going to find a contract close to the $35.5 million he is making this season, but if he wants to be paid in the range of Ivica Zubac/Naz Reid/Nic Claxton — around $20 million a season or more — he has to prove he is worth it. Coach J.J. Redick praised Ayton's play and work ethic at media day, but praise from a coach before the practices start is cheap. Ayton must take advantage of this opportunity in Los Angeles, or he will be playing for the veteran's minimum in future years.

Donovan Mitchell (and entire Cavaliers team)

Last season, it seemed like Kenny Atkinson had turned the Cavaliers into a contender: 64 wins, No. 1 seed in the East, best offense in the NBA and a top-10 defense. Donovan Mitchell was on MVP ballots and was named First Team All-NBA.

Then came the playoffs, and they were run out of the second round by the Pacers in five games. There were reasons for that loss — Darius Garland's turf toe limiting him is at the top of the list, but Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter also had postseason injuries — that does not change the fact that it was an ugly and embarrassing playoff exit for a team with title aspirations.

Cleveland is running it back (but with the upgrade of Lonzo Ball in for Isaac Okoro). Cleveland has the most expensive roster in the league and a championship-or-bust mentality. That is pressure.

Cleveland is built to run it back one more season after this one, but if things go sideways for the Cavaliers, at what point does ownership balk at being in the second apron and paying all this to fall short?

Zion Williamson

It feels like Zion Williams is perpetually on this list.

Tell me if you've heard this one before: Zion is more focused on his health than ever before and is in the best shape of his career entering the season. He says he is focused. He is still putting on a show in warm-ups.

New head of basketball operations in New Orleans, Joe Dumars, said all the right things about keeping Zion in the Big Easy, and talking to him about the accountability and responsibility that comes with his prodigious talent. Dumars is right. He's also not the first person to have that conversation with Zion. Did it sink in this time?

On one level, there is only so much pressure on Zion. He is just 25 and entering only his seventh NBA season. He will make $126.5 million over the next three seasons, guaranteed.

The pressure is centered on his place in the league, his ability to lead, and, ultimately, his legacy. Dumars didn't seriously try to trade Zion this past offseason because what little he heard showed him all the offers would be lowball — plenty of teams are willing to take a chance on Zion, but the return to the Pelicans was not going to help really jumpstart a rebuild like Dumars might wish.

His talent is not in question. Zion looks every bit the franchise cornerstone when healthy — 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists a game last season — but he played in just 30 games last season due to a hamstring issue. In his six NBA seasons in New Orleans, he has played 214 games and missed 258.

Zion doesn't just need to be on the court, he needs to lead this team by example. He needs to demonstrate a level of maturity and show that the lessons of the first six years have truly taken hold. Or the rest of the league will start to move on, leaving Zion to the teams willing to take a long shot chance.

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Owen Farrell focused on forging another team identity after teeing up Donald

Fresh from a chat with the Ryder Cup captain, the Saracens stalwart is back at his old club with half an eye on an England return too

By his own admission, Owen Farrell was exhausted after the first weekend of the season. A stray boot to the face inside 10 minutes made for a bloody nose and a rude awakening on his second Saracens debut against Newcastle, 17 years after his first. Farrell soldiered on to the hour mark, helping Saracens to a bonus-point victory before an early train home on Saturday morning. It was Sunday that left him “emotionally drained”, however.

Farrell was glued to Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph, watching Luke Donald’s side so nearly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The 34-year-old is a keen golfer – he took the phone call from his father, Andy, to join the British & Irish Lions tour in July in a clubhouse – and played alongside Donald at last month’s PGA Championship Pro-Am at Wentworth.

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Wigan v Leigh Super League semi-final set to go ahead after ticket allocation furore

  • RFL says game on despite alleged Leigh owner complaint

  • Holders Wigan hitting form at the right time

Friday night’s Super League playoff semi-final between Leigh Leopards and Wigan Warriors is expected to go ahead as planned, but only after it was overshadowed by a controversy that could only really happen in rugby league.

The events of last weekend should have been the springboard for a significant and positive six weeks for the sport, kickstarted by St Helens’ stunning victory over Leeds in the opening round of the playoffs. Saints won in dramatic circumstances, scoring the winning try after the full-time hooter had sounded and whetting the appetite not only for the run-in to Old Trafford but also this autumn’s Ashes series.

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