Mike Brown is clearly prepared to do what Tom Thibodeau did not: see whether the New York Knicks can survive with a five-out lineup featuring Deuce McBride alongside the Core Four starters.
Though Mitchell Robinson received the starting nod for the second consecutive preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers, McBride received time alongside Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns to close. The stint lasted just three minutes and 25 seconds, but the lineup showed enough to demand it become a staple during the regular season.
New York outscored the Sixers 11-4 in its Deuce-plus-the-starters stretch.