All five 76ers starters take at least 10 shots in opening win over Knicks
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 19 attempts and 28 points as the 76ers beat New York 106-100 in their season opener.
The Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, October 20, with all five Philadelphia starters attempting at least 10 shots. Tyrese Maxey led the team with 19 attempts and 28 points in the season opener.
Heavy attributed the individual shot-attempt figures to Underdog NBA. Joel Embiid took 15 shots, Jaylen Brown 14, LeBron James 13 and VJ Edgecombe 10. Together with Maxey’s 19, that gave the five starters 71 attempts. Maxey took four more shots than any teammate.
How the 76ers won at Madison Square Garden
Philadelphia closed the third quarter on an 11-0 run, capped by Brown’s second consecutive three-pointer at the buzzer, according to The Guardian’s agency report. The run gave the 76ers an 83-76 lead entering the fourth quarter after a game played on the night New York celebrated its NBA championship.
Maxey converted a three-point play early in the fourth to make it 87-78. The Knicks later cut the deficit to 96-95 on a Karl-Anthony Towns three-pointer, but Embiid answered with a three and Philadelphia stayed ahead. That late exchange followed the 76ers’ decisive run across the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth.
Philadelphia won despite making 11 of its 40 three-point attempts, a 27.5% rate reported by Heavy. The Knicks shot 37% overall and 33.3% from three-point range, according to The Guardian’s account. The shot-attempt distribution describes this opener; it does not establish how Philadelphia will divide shots over the season.
Brown and James in their Philadelphia opener
Brown finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his first game since Philadelphia acquired him from Boston. James scored 14 points as he began his NBA-record 24th season. Reports differed on James’s assists and rebounds, so those totals remain unclear from the published accounts.
Embiid added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, according to The Guardian’s agency report. His fourth-quarter three came immediately after the Knicks had reduced Philadelphia’s lead to one point. Heavy’s figures put Embiid second among the 76ers’ starters in shot attempts, behind Maxey.
Before the game, New York raised its NBA championship banner and presented rings. Jalen Brunson told fans during the ceremony that the team hoped to repeat the joy the city had experienced over the summer. The Knicks then opened their season with a loss to a Philadelphia lineup featuring Brown and James.
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Sources and context
- 76ers’ Starters Spread the Wealth in the Season OpenerHeavy (carried by Yahoo Sports)
- NBA: LeBron James' Philadelphia 76ers beat New York Knicks in the season openerBBC Sport
- LeBron James and Sixers spoil Knicks’ title party as Thunder and Pistons win NBA openersThe Guardian (agency report; byline “Agencies”)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.