LeBron James debuted for the Philadelphia 76ers as they rallied to beat the New York Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 28 points while Jaylen Brown, in his first game since the trade from Boston, had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. James, starting his NBA-record 24th season with the Sixers, finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The Sixers closed the third quarter on an 11-0 run capped by Brown’s buzzer three and Maxey’s three-point play early in the fourth pushed the lead to 87-78. New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 12 rebounds, but the Knicks shot 37 percent overall and 33.3 percent from three. Philadelphia’s mix of new stars and timely production from reserves such as Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sent an opening-night message that the Sixers will be a contender against the reigning champions.
