Mike Brown said his Knicks were ahead of schedule on both sides of the ball. And maybe they were — in practice.

But under the lights at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, New York’s first live action of the preseason showed how far this team still has to go to reach its championship ceiling.

The Knicks shook off a sluggish start to defeat the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers, 99-84, in their preseason opener. The win came without OG Anunoby (sprained hand) and against a Sixers squad missing both Joel Embiid and Paul George, but it was hardly a clean showing. Offensive miscues, defensive lapses and early turnovers made it clear: progress is a process.

FAST START, SLOPPY FINISH TO FIRST QUARTER

With Anunoby sidelined, Brown rolled out second-year forward Pacome Dadiet alongside the

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