Kyle Lowry’s debut, Jalen Brunson’s All-Star return brings Philly flavor to Sixers-Knicks — and a playoff preview?

“M-V-P!” chants broke out multiple times Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Not for Joel Embiid, the reigning winner of the award who is still sidelined following knee surgery. Or for Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers’ point guard who is fresh off his first All-Star Game appearance.

They were for Jalen Brunson, the former Villanova standout and newly minted New York Knicks All-Star.

“One, it’s incredible to have that,” teammate Donte DiVincenzo said of the ovation for Brunson. “And it’s not normal.”

» READ MORE: Josh Hart arrives to Sixers-Knicks wearing Villanova teammate Ryan Arcidiacono’s jersey

The Sixers’ first game out of the break — a 110-96 loss to the Knicks — featured some insane Philly flavor. It was Kyle Lowry’s Sixers debut, a career turn at 37 years old that his former Cardinal Doughtery teammates have called “legendary.”

It was Brunson’s first game here with All-Star distinction, the latest accomplishment for the undersized point guard who has always felt a bit overlooked.

And it was another visit for fellow “Villanova Knicks” DiVincenzo and Josh Hart, with the latter strolling into the arena wearing the jersey of fellow Wildcat-turned-Knick Ryan Arcidiacono, who was dealt at the trade deadline.

“All the time,” Brunson said when asked whether these returns to Philly remain special. “... It definitely is fun playing here, and I really enjoy it.”

Thursday’s meeting was also a potential precursor for a first-round playoff series that would be filled with storylines but has decisively tipped toward the Knicks so far this season.

These teams entered Thursday separated by a half-game in the Eastern Conference standings, creating a hypothetical 4-5 matchup beginning at Madison Square Garden if the postseason began today. But the Sixers (32-23) have now dropped the first two regular-season meetings to the Knicks (34-22), including a 128-92 Jan. 5 drubbing that Embiid played in but was clearly hobbled by a sore knee.

On Thursday, the Sixers trailed by as many as 26 points in the first half, but eventually cut the deficit to 92-86, before New York finished off the victory.

“We’ve got to scratch them out right now,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Because the parallels between the Sixers and Knicks go beyond the standings, or the proximity between home arenas.

Both teams have a sense of urgency to return to health for the regular season’s stretch run.

Embiid is expected to be reevaluated in early March. Starting forward Nico Batum was shaky in his return Thursday from a hamstring injury (zero points, three rebounds, five fouls), and guard De’Anthony Melton, who has missed the last 19 games with a spine injury, is projected to be back for Friday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks are missing All-Star forward Julius Randle, three-and-D newcomer OG Anunoby, and starting center Mitchell Robinson.

» READ MORE: Sixers roles for Kyle Lowry and Buddy Hield, life without Joel Embiid, and more post-All-Star storylines to track

Those health issues put the Sixers and Knicks on downturns heading into the All-Star break. New York went 15-2 from Jan. 1 through Feb. 1 — which aligned with its trade for the highly coveted Anunoby — then lost five out of six games before the break. The Sixers took a six-game winning streak into a late-January road trip out west before losing 10 of their last 13 games when Embiid and several other rotation players missed time.

The Sixers and Knicks also believe they improved their rosters at the trade deadline. The Sixers added sharpshooter Buddy Hield and reserve guard Cameron Payne, then Lowry off the buyout market. The Knicks acquired professional scorer Bojan Bogdanovic, who on Thursday torched the Sixers for 22 off-the-bench points on 6-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

Yet the Sixers and Knicks will still heavily lean on players with Philly connections.

Lowry finished with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, five assists, and four rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench — along with a forehead gash that required mid-game stitches. His leadership was on display on his first possession, when he directed teammates from the corner, scored inside, and then pulled Paul Reed and KJ Martin aside before heading to the bench for a timeout.

Later, Lowry hit a three-pointer and a jumper right before the third-quarter buzzer to get the Sixers within 91-81 heading into the final frame.

“That first ‘hurrah’ is over,” Lowry said. “Now it’s about going out there and helping this team win basketball games.”

With Anunoby sidelined for the Knicks, DiVincenzo guarded Maxey and Hart took Hield in their latest challenging perimeter defensive assignments. Thibodeau called Hart’s performance — 18 points (including a three-pointer to put the Knicks up, 105-90, with less than four minutes remaining), 12 rebounds, and three assists — “terrific start to finish.”

Following a quiet first three quarters, DiVincenzo scored eight points in a three-minute stretch in the fourth to effectively squash the Sixers’ rally attempt.

And Brunson’s 12 assists embodied the Knicks’ find-a-way-to-win mentality, on a night he went 5-of-18 from the floor (but 11-of-11 from the free-throw line) to finish with 21 points.

“He found Donte a couple times late,” Thibodeau said. “We got those threes, and we needed them.”

Added DiVincenzo: “It’s a different level of chemistry, for sure. To be honest with you, it’s just smart basketball players.”

» READ MORE: Kyle Lowry never dreamed of joining the Sixers, but his homecoming came at the right time: ‘I’m prepared’

After the final buzzer, Brunson shook the hand of DiVincenzo, who was perched on the scorer’s table for an interview. Brunson was again serenaded with “M-V-P!” chants from Knicks fans as he walked off the floor. Later, he left the building wearing a letterman-style jacket with the logo of his beloved Wawa on the back.

Much can happen between now and mid-April, when the playoffs begin. These teams will see each other again in less than three weeks, for two consecutive games at the Garden on March 10 and 12.

And then … a first-round series?

That would come with plenty of Philly storylines. But the on-court play so far has decisively belonged to the Knicks, who (perhaps understandably) have looked quite comfortable inside the Wells Fargo Center.

“I’m not from Philly, but it’s the closest thing to home in the NBA,” said DiVincenzo, a Delaware native. “There are two or three spots in the NBA that have a special feel playing there, and this is definitely one of them as a visitor.”