76ers vs Knicks Recap October 21: Maxey Spoils Ring Night

This 76ers vs Knicks recap October 21 covers the NBA season opener, where the Philadelphia 76ers beat the defending champion New York Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden. Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 28 points, and LeBron James and Jaylen Brown won their first game in Philadelphia uniforms.

The result spoiled the Knicks’ ring night. Before tip-off, the team received its championship rings and raised its title banner in a 30-minute ceremony, but Philadelphia controlled the third quarter and held on late. The game tipped off at 7:00 AM on Wednesday, October 21, in Philippine time.

How Philadelphia won the game

The first half was slow and full of fouls and missed shots. New York built a 10-point lead with one strong run, and went into halftime ahead 58-54.

The third quarter decided the game. Philadelphia outscored New York 29-18 in the period to take control, then kept the Knicks at arm’s length in the fourth.

The closing minutes

The Knicks twice cut the lead to one point in the final three minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns hit a three-pointer to make it 100-98 with 2:40 left, but VJ Edgecombe answered with a dunk off a pass from Joel Embiid, and Philadelphia kept a two-possession lead the rest of the way.

Who led the 76ers and Knicks?

Maxey was the best player on the floor, scoring 28 points on 9-of-19 shooting and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Philadelphia put six players in double figures, a sign of how deep the new-look roster can be.

Brown played his first game since his trade from Boston, and James opened his NBA-record 24th season. For New York, Brunson was held to 6-of-19 from the field, and the Knicks never found a steady scoring rhythm after halftime.

What the result means

For Philadelphia, beating the champions on their own floor was the strongest possible start for a roster built around James, Brown, Embiid, and Maxey. James and Brown had both sat out the 76ers’ preseason loss to the Celtics, so this was the first real look at the full group.

For New York, one loss means little on its own, but it started a difficult opening stretch. The Knicks went on to lose their first three games, becoming the first defending champion to open 0-3 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.

What’s next for the 76ers and Knicks

The two teams meet again quickly, this time in Philadelphia in the group stage of the NBA Cup. Every Cup group game also counts in the regular-season standings, as explained in our NBA season format guide.