Jalen Brunson’s recent injury during the New York Knicks matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers has become a focal point of discussion among fans and analysts. As one of the team’s star players, Brunson’s health and performance are pivotal to the Knicks’ success this season.

The NBA Cup, previously called the In-Season Tournament, gets started on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and one of the matchups on the first night of NBA Cup games sees the New York Knicks visiting the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Nov 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) dunks the ball in front of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center.

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and the New York Knicks spoiled 76ers star Joel Embiid’s season debut, beating Philadelphia 111-99 in the opener of NBA Cup group play for both teams.

The last image of Joel Embiid playing with the 76ers was him gritting his way through Bell’s palsy and the aftereffects of a left knee injury. He played 40 minutes in Game 6 of the first-round matchup last season against the New York Knicks despite being clearly limited.

Here is an updated look at the NBA Cup standings after the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the New York Knicks at home.

However, the results of the NBA Cup opener against the New York Knicks didn’t exactly inspire a ton of hope after a brutal start to the 2024-2025 NBA season. Getting Embiid back was a good step, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done over the next few weeks.

Here are the three biggest takeaways for the Philadelphia 76ers in a tough NBA Cup loss to the New York Knicks at home.