NBA: Maxey and Sixers spoil Knicks’ title party in New York
The Sixers beat the Knicks 106–100 to open their season. Maxey scores 28 points, Brown sparks the turnaround and Embiid answers New York’s last comeback.
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The title celebrations were not enough for the Knicks. After receiving their championship rings at Madison Square Garden, New York lost their first regular-season game to Philadelphia, 100–106, on Tuesday 20 October. Tyrese Maxey, who scored 28 points, led the Sixers to a win built after the break.
For a remodelled Philadelphia side built around Maxey and Joel Embiid, with the arrivals of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, this first outing already offers a guide: the newcomers made their mark, but the outcome was decided mainly by a collective run and by the ability to answer New York’s late comebacks.
New York lead at the break, without pulling clear
The Knicks led by two points after the first quarter, 25–23, then scored 33 points in the second. Their lead reached ten points in that first half, but Philadelphia stayed in touch: at the break, New York led by only 58–54.
That slim margin kept the visitors in it. The game never turned into an offensive showcase: the Knicks would finish shooting 37.2% and the Sixers 41.6%. In those conditions, a few consecutive possessions can shift the balance of power.
An 11–0 run to close the third quarter
Philadelphia made the difference late in the third period. The Sixers scored the final eleven points of the quarter without conceding. Jaylen Brown capped the run with a three-pointer at the buzzer, set up by LeBron James. The scoreboard then read 83–76 to Philadelphia.
Brown finished his Sixers debut with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. James contributed 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Their output complemented that of Maxey, the game’s top scorer, without overshadowing the bench: Anfernee Simons hit three three-pointers and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added two.
Embiid answers as the Knicks cut it to one point
New York stayed in the game until the final minutes, though. A Karl-Anthony Towns three-pointer brought the Knicks back to 96–95. Embiid answered in turn from beyond the arc and Philadelphia held the lead to the end.
The centre scored 13 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out six assists. His night shooting remained difficult, with four baskets made from fifteen attempts, but his shot from outside came at a moment when New York could still have retaken the lead.
At the other end, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points, shooting six of nineteen. Towns added 19 points and 12 rebounds; Andre Drummond contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds. Those efforts were not enough to make up for the third quarter, lost 29–18.
A first result, not yet a pecking order
Philadelphia therefore start with a road win on the floor of the reigning champions. The Knicks, for their part, must already regroup after an evening of celebration that ended in defeat. The Sixers’ next outing is a home game against Cleveland on Thursday 22 October; New York travel to Boston on Friday 23 October.
Find the score and statistics on the SNA match page.