Knicks get crushed 120-97. The starters barely played.

The Knicks were crushed in Philadelphia. That needs to be said plainly. So does the preseason context: New York's starters played sparingly, which is standard in October. This was not a crisis or a forecast. It was a 120-97 loss with an ugly 8-for-41 three-point line.

Jaylen Brown set the early pace with 22 points before halftime, the headline on the NBA's official game center. New York kept its regulars on short preseason shifts. Jalen Brunson scored 12 points in 14:51, OG Anunoby added 12 in 14:28, Karl-Anthony Towns had five, Mikal Bridges had three and Josh Hart had two.

The three-point line told the story

Philadelphia made 16 threes to New York's eight. That is a 24-point difference from behind the line in a game decided by 23. There were other problems, but none needs a decoder ring. The Knicks took enough threes to shape the game and made too few to stay in it.

The 76ers also finished with a 71-62 rebounding edge and committed eight turnovers to New York's 13. Caleb Love scored 15 for Philadelphia, while Dillon Jones, Saint Thomas and Jabari Walker added 11 apiece. Philadelphia kept getting production after Brown's first-half burst, and the margin kept growing after the starters sat.

A preseason result, but useful evidence

This is the bargain of preseason basketball. The loss does not count, but the possessions do. New York can review how 41 three-point attempts produced only 24 points, why Philadelphia won the rebounding battle and which reserve combinations can create cleaner offense when Brunson is off the floor.

The Knicks do not need a speech after one exhibition, and nobody should pretend the closing lineups resembled a regular-season game. They do need better spacing, stronger work on the glass and fewer empty trips. Philadelphia gave them all three assignments in one night. That is exactly what preseason is for.