Tyrese Maxey Leads New-Look 76ers Past Champion Knicks on Opening Night

Tyrese Maxey delivered the first statement of Philadelphia’s new season Tuesday night, scoring a game-high 28 points as the 76ers defeated the defending champion New York Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden. The win spoiled New York’s championship ring and banner celebration while giving Philadelphia an encouraging first look at its star-heavy lineup in a regular-season game.

Maxey led the scoring, but the Sixers received contributions across the roster. Jaylen Brown scored 19 points in his Philadelphia regular-season debut, LeBron James finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Joel Embiid added 13 points and 11 rebounds. Philadelphia erased a double-digit deficit, closed the third quarter on an 11-0 run and then relied on its defense late. After Karl-Anthony Towns cut the margin to one with 4:37 remaining, the Knicks scored on only two of their final eight possessions. Maxey’s late steal and transition dunk helped create separation.

The result matters beyond one opening-night win. Philadelphia’s biggest question was whether so many high-usage stars could function together while defending well enough to contend. Against the team that eliminated the Sixers last postseason, the early answer was encouraging. New York will have plenty of time to respond, but Philadelphia walked out of the champions’ building with the first meaningful result of its new era.