The New York Knicks picked up their NBA championship rings, but the Philadelphia 76ers left Madison Square Garden with a 106-100 victory Tuesday in the teams’ season opener.
Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 28 points for the 76ers, whose overhauled roster of stars clicked well toward the end of their marquee matchup in New York.
In their Philadelphia debuts, LeBron James had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Jaylen Brown added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. With a strong second-half push, the 76ers earned the victory despite a mediocre shooting night (41.9% from the field, 27.5% on 3-pointers).
“Personally, I feel a lot better, still getting my rhythm,” James told NBC Sports’ Zora Stephenson about beginning his 24th season with his fourth team. “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. Didn’t shoot the ball well, but we have capable shooters. We know that. So, we’re waiting for it to start the season.”
After trailing since late in the first quarter, the 76ers closed the third quarter on an 11-0 run that was capped by a Maxey 3-pointer as the horn sounded.
“It’s about winning, just trying to make plays to win,” James said. “I’m very familiar with every scenario that this game has offered. Blessed to be able to play still at this level, and blessed to be able to play in this building, too. This building is so special, so it’s fun.”
Jalen Brunson led New York with 21 points but made 6 of 19 field goals as the Knicks struggled to shoot 37.2% (33.3% on 3-pointers).
Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points for New York but played only 24 minutes while stuck in foul trouble for the first half. Backup center Andre Drummond filled in admirably, adding 12 points and 14 rebounds in 24 minutes.
Follow along for updates as Ring Night kicks off the 2026-27 NBA season on NBC and Peacock.
After rallying from double digits four times in June to win their first NBA championship in 53 years, New Yorks never trailed by more than nine points against Philadelphia.
But despite twice cutting the 76ers’ lead to one in the final 3 minutes, the Knicks still couldn’t muster last year’s Madison Square Garden magic that they celebrated with a 30-minute pregame ceremony. The Knicks donned gold-trimmed uniforms (and gold sneakers in the case of Brunson) to receive their championship rings and host the 2025-26 title banner to the rafters.
Eric Samulski details the New York Knicks’ championship ring and banner-raising ceremony on opening night
That might have been some extra motivation for a 76ers team that has aspirations of its first championship since 1983.
“Yeah, I do,” James said when asked by Stephenson if he liked winning on another team’s Ring Night. “It’s pretty stuff.”