One of the best and worst things about the NBA is the 82 game slate.

For the New York Knicks, the schedule has provided an immediate opportunity to flush their opening night loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The two teams are set for a rematch on Friday night, in the first game of the Emirates NBA Cup group stage.

New York dropped the season opener–in what will forever be known as the night they raised their 2026 championship banner–to Philadelphia, 106-100.

Friday night’s rematch will grants a few players who looked rusty to start the year and opportunity to bounce back in a big way. Let’s break it down.

Mikal Bridges

If it’s starting to feel like we’re picking on Mikal Bridges, who’s in the slump of all slumps, we’re not.

The fact of the matter is, if we didn’t know he could play (much) better, it wouldn’t be a topic of discussion. After being benched for the final 21 minutes of the Knicks’ comeback win over the Chicago Bulls, he needs a bounce-back game, period.

For the sake of this exercise, he also was poor out of the gate against the 76ers, recording just four points on two-of-eight shooting in the season opener.

He’s had one game since where he put it together on offense and defense: a 12-point effort in New York’s first win of the season, over the Detroit Pistons.

Through the first five games Bridges is averaging five points on 27% shooting from the field and 25% shooting from three. He’s yet to attempt a free throw. No one needs a good game more than Bridges.

Miles McBride

New York’s longest tenured player, Miles McBride, entered the year seeking a contract extension. So far, so bad.

“Deuce” is averaging 6.4 points and playing just 17.6 minutes a night. Both would be career-lows. He’s still knocking down threes at a high clip–41% on 4.4 attempts nightly–but has (seemingly) been surpassed in the rotation by Landry Shamet.

Perhaps that started in the season-opener against Philly. McBride went one-for-five from the floor in 13 minutes and failed to put any pressure on Tyrese Maxey, who finished the night with a game-high 28.

It’s not the shot that’s missing for McBride, it’s the defense. Particularly at the point-of-attack, where he’s made his bread, his butter, and his namesake prior to this year.

Karl-Anthony Towns

I know what you’re thinking: how does a guy who’s rattled off five-straight double-doubles need a bounce-back game?

Let’s go back to the season-opener.

Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two offensive fouls in the first quarter, forcing head coach Mike Brown to hook him early and put in Andre Drummond.

The effects were cascading for the Knicks, who got nothing from Drummond in the second half due to fatigue. Towns played just 23 minutes, his season-low.

Brown challenged his starting center postgame, saying that the offensive fouls have got to go:

“Just make the basket,” Brown said of his message to Towns. “Some guys I say, try to get fouled here…no, no, no. KAT you’re a freaking perennial All-Star, just make the bucket. And if he happens to foul you, then great. When you do those types of things, it shortens your opportunity to pick up a foul when you’re boxing out, or when you’re trying to get a rebound. So, that’s the stuff we want to try to eliminate from his game.”

Towns will get an opportunity to make right on his fouling tendencies in another matchup with the ever-floppy Joel Embiid.

New York will look to make it three consecutive wins against Philadelphia on Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm EST on Amazon Prime.