The Philadelphia 76ers kicked off their season with a statement, spoiling banner night at Madison Square Garden by taking down the defending champion New York Knicks 106-100 on October 20, 2026. This was our first look at the new-look Sixers, featuring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, and let me tell you, the early returns were seriously impressive. They secured a gritty opening night win, and while there are always things to iron out, the positives, especially on the defensive end, are screaming.
Defense? More Like *Offense* Against Expectations
Everyone, and I mean *everyone*, spent the summer talking about the offensive firepower of this Sixers squad. But the biggest question mark was always how they’d hold up defensively. Well, if opening night is any indication, they looked pretty damn good. There were some expected highlights, like VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown putting in a terrific shift guarding Jalen Brunson. Brunson, the reigning Finals MVP, still got his 21 points, but he had to take 19 shots to do it. Even the 41-year-old LeBron James, maybe not in his defensive prime, showed off that elite basketball IQ and physicality we all know, spending a ton of time matched up against Karl-Anthony Towns. Talk about setting the tone right away.
Maxey and Embiid Shut Down the Doubts
But the real shockers on defense came from the two longest-tenured Sixers: Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Maxey, who also dropped a game-high 28 points, was arguably the best player on the floor. He wasn’t just scoring, though. He racked up three steals and three blocks! Can you believe it? Early in his career, teams routinely picked on Maxey, but he’s gotten bigger, stronger, and smarter, and now he’s making opponents pay the price. He even mentioned Jrue Holiday was a favorite growing up because of his two-way game. Maxey is living up to that two-way ideal big time.
Then there’s Joel Embiid. We’ve seen him be a Defensive Player of the Year finalist and one of the best rim protectors in the league. But let’s be real, his movement on defense has been a question mark the last couple of seasons, especially after Brunson relentlessly picked on him in last year’s playoffs. Well, Embiid moved with a visible spring in his step on Tuesday. He varied his looks against Brunson in the pick-and-roll, even hanging tough on a couple of switches. In the second half, the Sixers even put James on KAT and Embiid on Josh Hart, a strategy that wasn’t physically possible for Embiid recently. For the first time in at least two years, he looked like *that guy* again. Nate Duncan even tweeted that the “Knicks are 12-31 in the paint with Joel on the floor tonight. Had a couple of big blocks on Drummond.” This was a tremendous effort, plain and simple.
Look, it’s just one game. We all know it’s fair to be a little skeptical about Embiid keeping this up over the long haul. But what an opening statement from the Sixers’ defense. The way Maxey and Embiid played on that end of the floor has everyone buzzing, and it just made this team way scarier than anyone expected.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Liberty Ballers.
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