NEW YORK: LeBron James and his new Philadelphia 76ers teammates spoiled the New York Knicks’ championship celebrations on Tuesday, defeating the defending NBA champions 106-100 in the season opener at Madison Square Garden.
James, 41, began his record-extending 24th NBA season with his fourth team, contributing 14 points and seven assists as Philadelphia overcame the Knicks on the night they raised their championship banner and received their title rings.
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 28 points, while Jaylen Brown contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Center Joel Embiid added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers.
James said he was still adjusting to his new teammates but was encouraged by the team’s performance, particularly on defence.
“I could be a lot better,” James told NBC. “Still getting my rhythm, obviously just a little bit over two weeks with the new squad.”
“But I like the way we played. I think we played exceptionally well, especially defensively,” he added.
76ers Overcome Knicks in Championship Celebration
Jalen Brunson led New York with 21 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds.
The Knicks briefly regained the lead in the third quarter, but Philadelphia responded to their challenges and held on for victory despite a late New York rally that reduced the margin to one point.
Both teams started slowly offensively. James opened his scoring for Philadelphia with a layup late in the first quarter, cutting the Knicks’ lead to 19-18.
New York extended its advantage to 10 points three times in the second quarter, but the 76ers gradually closed the gap and went into halftime trailing by four.
Early in the third quarter, a Philadelphia steal led to an alley-oop pass from Brown to James, bringing the visitors within one point. James then scored on a driving layup to put the 76ers ahead 64-63.
The teams exchanged the lead before Philadelphia established control and secured the win.
James, a four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer, acknowledged the special satisfaction of winning on a night when another team was celebrating its title.
“It’s pretty special,” he said.
Knicks Honour Championship-Winning Legends
The game began with an emotional ceremony celebrating New York’s championship success.
Knicks legends Bill Bradley, Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier presented championship rings to the players before the team’s third championship banner was raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks ended a 53-year title drought by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the previous season’s NBA Finals.
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Brunson told the home crowd that the team was ready to move forward and build on its championship success.
“The joy that this city had this summer we’d love to replicate that again,” he said.
The Knicks entered the season hoping to become the first team to win consecutive NBA championships since 2018.
Detroit Rally From 22 Points Down to Beat Boston
In another opening-night contest, the Detroit Pistons produced a stunning second-half comeback to defeat the Boston Celtics 121-113.
The Pistons trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter before turning the game around with an explosive fourth-quarter performance.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren scored 22 points each, while Duncan Robinson finished with 21 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter.
Detroit delivered a decisive 23-0 scoring run in the final period to seize control and complete the comeback.
Cunningham said the team had needed to improve its performance after a disappointing first half.
“We just didn’t do our brand of basketball good enough in the first half and we had to turn it up,” he said. “We had a good talk at halftime and lit that fire a little bit better.”
Paul George Shines Despite Celtics Defeat
Boston’s Paul George delivered an impressive individual performance despite ending the night on the losing side.
The nine-time All-Star scored 38 points in his Celtics debut, setting a record for the most points scored by a player making his debut for the franchise. He also contributed five rebounds, five steals and three assists.
George said he had enjoyed competing with his new teammates but was disappointed by the result.
“Felt great competing with these guys,” he said. “But I’m not a moral victory guy so, means nothing. We lost. We’ve just got to get ready for the next one.”
Spurs Face Thunder in Western Conference Rematch
The opening day’s triple-header also featured a highly anticipated matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs faced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in a rematch of the previous season’s Western Conference finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander entered the new campaign as the league’s two-time reigning Most Valuable Player, adding further interest to the matchup as the NBA’s 81st season got underway.
