The Knicks are back, just four months after New York City celebrated their historic 2026 NBA Finals victory with a confetti-caked parade for the ages.
All five starters on the championship squad -- MVP Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby -- return. And so, too, does the excitement of a fan base finally rewarded for its fervor.
Follow all the latest Knicks developments ahead of tonight's 76ers season opener.
It was fun! Until it wasn't. LeBron James and the Sixers come into MSG and spoil the Knicks hopes for a win on their banner night. Actually, I should say Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers - he led everyone with 28 points. Bron scored 14, adding 9 rebounds and 7 assists and seemed pleased with the way his new team feels just a few weeks into this experiment in Philly. Look, they're going to be a problem in the East. The Knicks also aren't going to watch OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges combine to shoot 1-11 from three. So, perspective. It feels like the first of a season full of grudge matches between these two, as it should be.
On a side note, I will say that I expected LeBron in a Sixers uniform to feel a whole lot weirder than it does. I started covering Bron when he was a high school freshman in Akron, OH. I remember him at age 14 or so asking me to interview his teammates, too. He was always big into distributing the ball, making the pass to an open man - insisting on making the smart basketball play. I can't believe he's STILL playing at 41 years old. But I can believe that this mix with Philly really suits him well. Fascinating to see this play out. Probably at the Garden in a playoff series this coming spring.
The Philadelphia 76ers sent an opening-night message they'll be a contender for the New York Knicks' NBA title after adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, rallying for a 106-100 victory Tuesday.
Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Brown had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his first game since being acquired from Boston. James began his NBA-record 24th season by finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
The 76ers got three 3-pointers from Anfernee Simons and two from fellow newcomer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, as the reserves took advantage of the open looks they got when the Knicks were caught focusing too much on the bigger names.
Jalen Brunson scored 21 points, but the NBA Finals MVP shot just 6 for 19 from the field.
Brunson told fans inside Madison Square Garden in a pregame ceremony when the Knicks raised their NBA championship banner and received their rings that: “The joy that this city had this summer, we would love to replicate that again.”
Maybe they can, but they will have to play a lot better than they did Tuesday, shooting 37% overall and 33.3% on 3s. Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 12 rebounds.
The Knicks dominated the 76ers in a second-round sweep, early on during their streak of 13 straight victories as part of a 16-3 finish with the highest point differential in NBA postseason history.
Philadelphia then went out and traded for Brown and signed James after the NBA’s career scoring leader decided to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, setting the 76ers up with the potential to be one of the best teams in the league.
They certainly didn’t have a smooth start, but played better as the game went on. The Sixers closed the third quarter with an 11-0 run, capped by Brown’s second straight 3-pointer that came at the buzzer and gave Philadelphia an 83-76 lead.
Maxey’s three-point play early in the fourth made it 87-78. The Knicks cut it to 96-95 when Towns made a 3-pointer, but Joel Embiid answered with one and the Sixers stayed ahead.
Embiid finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Brunson, wearing gold sneakers for the occasion, couldn’t help the Knicks recover by hitting the type of big shots he did when they repeatedly came back to beat San Antonio in five games for their first championship since 1973.
The festive pregame party gave way to a first half filled with long stretches of fouls and missed shots, not leaving much reason for the cheers to continue. The Knicks went ahead by 10 with one good flurry but it was down to 58-54 at halftime.
The Knicks will return to action on Friday, when they visit the Boston Celtics.
2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks discusses his “secret nickname” in an interview with NBC’s Craig Melvin. Check out the “Glass Half Full” podcast for the full conversation.
Madison Square Garden was filled with enthusiastic Knicks fans ushering in the new season for the NBA Champions.
The season opener was filled with celebration as the team raised their championship banner and received their rings.
But, all the pomp and circumstance, was not enough to bring that win.
The Knickerbockers lost 100-106 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Okay, okay. The Sixers are clearly a problem for the Knicks. Philly opened the 4th Quarter up 83-76 with four starters scoring in double figures. They're moving the ball well (24 team assists) for a group that is just starting to figure it out.
Jaylen Brown scores 10 of his 19 points in the 3Q and Philly surged in front. The Knicks look sloppy. Poor shooting, poor execution. You know that won't last, of course. But they're in a familiar place - needing to come from behind in the final quarter.
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