LeBron James leads 76ers past Knicks on NBA opening night
LeBron James added 14 points in his first game wearing a Philadelphia 76ers jersey as the team edged the defending champion New York Knicks 106‑100 on the NBA’s opening night. The 41‑year‑old, now in a record‑extending 24th season and playing for his fourth franchise after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, also recorded seven assists in the victory.
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers for Philadelphia with 28 points, while recent acquisition Jaylen Brown, who arrived from the Boston Celtics in a high‑profile trade for Paul George, contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
The Knicks entered the arena having celebrated their recent championship, raising a third title banner at Madison Square Garden in front of a crowd that featured celebrity fans Ben Stiller and Spike Lee. New York broke a 53‑year title drought with a win over the San Antonio Spurs in last season’s NBA Finals, but they could not start the new campaign with a win as the 76ers pulled ahead in the third quarter and held on.
Jalen Brunson topped the Knicks’ scoring sheet with 21 points, and Karl‑Anthony Towns added 19 points and 12 rebounds. After the game, James told NBC, “I could be a lot better, still getting my rhythm, 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.”
In the league’s 81st season opener, the Detroit Pistons rallied in the second half to defeat the Boston Celtics 121‑113. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren each scored 22 points, while Duncan Robinson poured in 15 of his 21 points during the fourth quarter, helping Detroit close the game with a 23‑0 run. Celtics newcomer Paul George posted 38 points for his new team in a matchup that featured last season’s top two regular‑season squads.
The night concluded with Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander, a back‑to‑back NBA Most Valuable Player, scoring 32 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 116‑104. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 24 points, but they could not match the Thunder, who had eliminated them in last season’s Western Conference finals. Victor Wembanyama managed only one basket on 13 attempts for San Antonio, though he collected 13 rebounds, six blocks and 12 points, largely from 10 free throws. Gilgeous‑Alexander reflected, “Obviously, this is the team that eliminated us from achieving our goal, but for us, I think it was more like we’re just happy to be back. It’s a longer summer when you don’t win and we felt that this summer.”