Philadelphia spoils the Knicks' banner night with a 106-100 win in the NBA opener

New York — The Philadelphia 76ers spoiled the New York Knicks' celebration night with a 106-100 victory Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, in the opening game of the 2026-2027 NBA season for both teams, according to Field Level Media.

Before the game, the Knicks received their championship rings from Walt "Clyde" Frazier, a member of the franchise's title-winning teams in 1970 and 1973 and an analyst on the team's broadcasts, and raised the commemorative banner before their fans.

Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points, a game high, to lead Philadelphia. Its new reinforcements debuted strongly: Jaylen Brown contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and LeBron James 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The 76ers, who were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals before adding Brown and James over the summer, took the lead for good with an 11-0 run to close the third quarter.

For the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns posted 19 points and 12 rebounds, Andre Drummond added 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson finished with 21 points though he made only 6 of 19 shots from the field. Josh Hart added 14 points and OG Anunoby 10. Dominican José Alvarado played 16 and a half minutes with eight points, three assists and two steals for New York.

The victory marks a 1-0 start to the LeBron James-Jaylen Brown era in Philadelphia, a franchise that has not won the championship since 1983. The Knicks, defending their crown at home, fell despite a fourth-quarter rally and an electrified Garden crowd, according to the game's recap.

Photo: Reuters

Source: Field Level Media