The Knicks’ ring night celebration didn’t last long.
New York opened the 2026-27 season at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday with a matchup against the revamped Philadelphia 76ers, only to watch the visitors walk out with a 106-100 win and spoil the party. Afterward, new 76ers star LeBron James didn’t shy away from the moment when asked whether ruining a team’s ring night carries extra satisfaction.
“Yeah, I do,” James responded. “It’s pretty special.”
James made his official 76ers debut and turned in a steady all-around line: 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one blocked shot in 34 minutes. He went 5-of-13 from the field, 0-of-3 from 3-point range and 4-of-6 at the line.
Philadelphia got its biggest scoring punch from Tyrese Maxey, who led the way with 28 points. Jaylen Brown added 19 in his first official game with the 76ers, while Joel Embiid finished with 13. Off the bench, Anfernee Simons chipped in 13 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 10.
New York’s offense was paced by reigning Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, who put up 21 points. Karl-Anthony Towns followed with 19, Josh Hart had 14, Andre Drummond contributed 12 off the bench and OG Anunoby added 10.
The loss was bound to sting for Knicks fans, especially with the season opener coming against a new conference opponent and ending in front of a home crowd ready to celebrate. Still, it was only Game 1, with 81 left to play and plenty of time for the season to take shape.
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76ers May Have Found A Surprising Way To Survive Embiid Minutes
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The concept is not being framed as a full-time shift, but rather a situational tactic for moments when Embiid is sidelined or in foul trouble. For a team trying to preserve its lineup flexibility and survive the minutes when its anchor is unavailable, it is the sort of unconventional adjustment that can keep games from slipping away while the coaches look for more permanent solutions. [Read more 🡒]