76ers star LeBron James finally breaks opening night streak in Year 24
· Yahoo Sports
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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LeBron James has done just about everything in his career, but one thing had always escaped him until the Philadelphia 76ers’ opening game on Tuesday night. In his 24th NBA season, James finally won a season opener with a new team.
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The 76ers beat the New York Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden, spoiling the defending champions’ ring night in James’ Philadelphia debut.
James had come up short in each of his first four debuts with a new franchise. He lost his first game with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie in 2003, his first game with the Miami Heat in 2010, his first game back in Cleveland in 2014 and his first game with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
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This time, he did not need to carry the load. James finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block, playing more of a facilitator role as the rest of Philadelphia’s revamped lineup stepped up.
Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points, five assists and three steals. Jaylen Brown, also making his 76ers debut after being traded from the Boston Celtics in the offseason, added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Joel Embiid chipped in 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
The game turned after halftime. The Knicks led 58-54 at the break, but the Sixers outscored them 29-18 in the third quarter. James and Brown connected throughout the period, including an alley-oop from Brown to James, before James inbounded the ball to Brown for a buzzer-beating three that put Philadelphia up 83-76.
New York never regained the lead. Maxey came up with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup to make it 104-98 with 1:52 left, and James sealed it with two free throws with seven seconds remaining.
The Philadelphia defense also made life tough for Jalen Brunson, who scored 21 points but shot 6-of-19 from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 19 points and 12 rebounds.
James did not exactly get a warm welcome. Knicks fans chanted “We don’t want you” at him as he stood at the free-throw line in the first half, and he was later seen jawing with fans.
The Sixers will look to stay unbeaten when they host none other than the Cavaliers on Thursday.
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