NEW YORK - The Philadelphia 76ers walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 106-100 Opening Night win over the New York Knicks, and Joel Embiid said the difference started with the way the group showed up on defense.
In the first game of the 2026-27 season, Embiid said the matchup felt different because of the way Philadelphia stayed locked in possession after possession.
“I think just we have the talent. I think the focus in everything that we do,” Embiid said.
“Locked in every possession and to the game plan, and the adjustments. Just being out there defensively.
I think a lot of it falls on me. I put it on me.
If I want to be All-Defense like I used to be, that changes everything for our team. So if I can play that way every single night, which I will, changes everything.”
Embiid backed that up with a stat line that showed his fingerprints all over the game: 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals.
Tyrese Maxey carried the scoring load with 28 points, while also adding five assists, four rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Jaylen Brown chipped in 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the win.
Brown pointed to the same area when he talked about what carried Philadelphia through the night.
“Defense is what kept us in it,” Brown said after Tuesday's win. “Defense is what we'll have to continue to hang our hat on - if we keep a team within 100 [points], we'll always give ourselves a chance to win.
So, it's a non-negotiable. We gotta play defense.”
The numbers backed that up. Philadelphia held New York to 100 points, 37.2% shooting overall and 33.3% from 3-point range, with the Knicks going 11-of-33 from deep.
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