Joel Embiid says he asked for LeBron James to guard Karl-Anthony Towns in 76ers win
Embiid said three first-half fouls prompted his halftime suggestion. Philadelphia took the lead in the third quarter and beat New York 106-100.
Joel Embiid said he suggested that LeBron James guard Karl-Anthony Towns at halftime after picking up three fouls in the Philadelphia 76ers’ season opener against the New York Knicks on October 20 at Madison Square Garden. Philadelphia won 106-100, taking the lead in the third quarter as James made his 76ers debut.
Embiid told reporters that foul trouble was changing how aggressively he could defend. “I wanted to stay on the floor,” he said, according to USA TODAY. The outlet reported that Embiid made the suggestion to Philadelphia’s coaches after his third foul late in the second quarter, proposing that James take the assignment against the Knicks center.
How the James assignment affected the third quarter
USA TODAY reported that James used his size and strength against Towns and disrupted the timing of New York’s pick-and-rolls. Towns attempted one field goal and scored four points in the third quarter, while the Knicks shot 5-of-21 in the period. Those figures describe the quarter in which Philadelphia moved ahead; Embiid’s account establishes why he proposed the change.
Embiid called James “another big body to guard the post” and compared that option with the defensive flexibility former 76er P.J. Tucker had given Philadelphia. USA TODAY also noted that James had guarded center Nikola Jokić for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics when Embiid ran into foul trouble. The suggestion drew on a role the two players had encountered together before James joined the 76ers.
Philadelphia’s opening-night win over New York
James finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, according to USA TODAY. BBC Sport reported that Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 28 points and Jaylen Brown scored 19 on his debut. Brown joined from the Boston Celtics in a trade for Paul George, part of a changed 76ers lineup entering the season.
The Knicks had raised a championship banner before the game, celebrating the title that ended their 53-year wait, BBC Sport reported. Jalen Brunson scored 21 points for New York, while Towns finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Philadelphia held the lead it gained in the third quarter to win on the champions’ opening night.
James described the result as an early step for his new team. “It’s just one game,” he said, according to USA TODAY, adding that the 76ers could learn from both the good and bad parts of their performance. The win also gave Philadelphia an opening result under James that built on the expectations surrounding his arrival.
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Sources and context
- Joel Embiid made an interesting suggestion about LeBron James – and it workedUSA TODAY (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- NBA: LeBron James' Philadelphia 76ers beat New York Knicks in the season openerBBC Sport
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.