LeBron James’s 76ers beat NY Knicks on NBA’s opening night at MSG

Philadelphia 76ers defeated NBA champions New York Knicks 106-100 as the new NBA season tipped off. Save Share LeBron James and his new Philadelphia 76ers teammates crashed the New York Knicks’ season-opening celebrations, beating the defending NBA champions 106-100 on the night they raised their title banner at Madison Square Garden. James, 41 and entering a record-extending 24th NBA season with his fourth team, scored 14 points and handed out seven of the 76ers’ 28 assists on Tuesday. It was a tantalising glimpse of how he will be a facilitator for younger teammates like Tyrese Maxey – who led all scorers with 28 points. “I could be a lot better,” James told a United States broadcaster NBC. “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.” Jaylen Brown, the former Boston Celtics star who arrived in Philly in a stunning trade for Paul George in July, scored 19 points with eight rebounds and six assists and centre Joel Embiid added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 21 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 19 points with 12 rebounds, but after regaining the lead in the third quarter, the 76ers repelled every Knicks charge. The Knicks ended a 53-year title drought with their victory over the San Antonio Spurs in last season’s NBA Finals. Knicks legends including Bill Bradley, Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier handed out the Knicks’ championship rings in an emotional pre-game ceremony at the Garden, where the crowd featured die-hard celebrity Knicks fans like Ben Stiller and Spike Lee, along with other famous faces including rocker Jon Bon Jovi and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Before the club’s third championship banner was raised to the rafters, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Brunson told fans the Knicks were “ready to turn the page as a team”. “But one thing I would like to say – the joy that this city had this summer we’d love to replicate that again,” Brunson said of a Knicks team aiming to be the first repeat champions since 2018. James, a four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer, admitted that winning on another team’s ring ceremony night was especially satisfying. “It’s pretty special,” he said....