James finished the night with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes on the court in the Sixers’ win at Madison Square Garden.
LeBron James reacts on the court and looks toward Spike Lee during the third quarter of the Knicks’ 106-100 loss to the 76ers in their home opener on Oct. 20, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It wasn’t the only memorable shot at Knicks fans that he got during the game.
In the second quarter, he was seen exchanging words with a spectator sitting courtside at the Garden.
According to Mike Tirico on the NBC broadcast, a fan behind him yelled at LeBron about his helicopter and said that just because the NBA superstar lives in New York, it didn’t mean they would cheer for him.
A video posted online showed James cursing at the fan, appearing to tell them there “ain’t nothing soft about the Midwest, I don’t know what the f–k you talking about.”
"You don't know what the fk you talkin about…I'm not from the west coast…I'm from Ohio baby. Ay…Fk you talkin about"
Eventually, Spike Lee stepped in to play peacemaker and cooler heads prevailed.
“Guess who’s playing peacemaker? Spike Lee,” Reggie Miller said on the broadcast, much to his own amusement.
“He’s over here playing peacemaker. Boy, I’ve seen everything.”
LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey react on the court in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ loss to the 76ers in their home opener at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I had visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden and finishing my career in the Garden,” James said. “One of the best places I’ve ever played.
“I think it’s the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player. But after [the Knicks] beat San Antonio, I was like, ‘Hey, I can’t.’ I couldn’t do it.”
What LeBron James brings to the 76ers was on full display right after halftime of their season opener: Coach Nick Nurse switched up the matchups and had LeBron guarding Karl-Anthony Towns (putting Joel Embiid on Josh Hart).
Versatility. He can defend multiple positions. He can get a bucket, but spent most of the game as a facilitator, making the smart pass to get someone else the easy two.
LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey continue to work well with one another in their first game as teammates!
On a team stacked with talent — and guys used to having the ball in their hands — LeBron's willingness to sacrifice to do whatever it takes to win stood out in his opener — and is part of the reason the 76ers picked up the 106-100 win to spoil ring night in Madison Square Garden.
LeBron had a 14-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist night.
LeBron with an all-around performance in his 76ers debut!
"I can be a lot better. Still getting my rhythm," LeBron said in his walk-off interview with NBC's Zora Stephenson. "Obviously, just a little over two weeks with the new squad. I like the way we played, I thought we played well, especially defensively. Didn't shoot the ball well but we have capable shooters, we know that."
It looked better than LeBron thought. When LeBron and Embiid were on the floor, the 76ers could invert the offense, put them both out high, and have Tyrese Maxey or Jaylen Brown cut and move with space in the paint. It wasn't always smooth, but it worked.
LeBron still has his haters. "We don't want you" chants rang out in Madison Square Garden when LeBron stepped to the free-throw line (a reference to LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, saying that if the Knicks hadn't won a title, he would have gone to New York this summer).
That's not going to bother him. And, it's not going to bother the 76ers. Coach Nick Nurse called other coaches to see what he was in for coaching LeBron.
"There wasn't a whole lot of amazing, laundry list of things they're gonna say. They say you're gonna really like coaching him, and that is the case," Nurse said.
Nurse also talked about what LeBron, and another champion in Jaylen Brown, bring to the 76ers.
"You see both of their work ethics are A-plus, right? So without them even saying anything, who they are and how they go about things, automatically gives you some some pop, right?" Nurse said. "But they're both very serious about winning, both very serious about their preparation, and they both understand the game and do use their voices and help their teammates do things out there."
LeBron did that on opening night, and that is exactly why Philadelphia was excited to welcome him in. They are 1-0 because of it.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 21: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball against Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers open their season by hosting the Golden State Warriors at home on Wednesday.
In the last five years, the Lakers have faced the Warriors three times on opening night. At this point, it feels inevitable that these two Pacific Division teams clash on opening night — with or without LeBron James in the mix.
Speaking of The King, one thing the Lakers didn’t do well during his era was kick off the regular season. During James’ eight-year tenure in Los Angeles, they won only once, that coming in 2024. Will this trend continue now that the Luka Dončić era is in full effect?
In order for the Lakers to do just that, they’re going to have to play sharp and smart basketball right off the bat on Wednesday. As we saw in both preseason losses to the Dubs, they’re a more connected team right now, which makes sense since they barely made noise in free agency, contrary to the Lakers. So look out for them to bank on that with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green leading the way.
What the Lakers should do is capitalize on the Warriors’ injuries. Note that aside from Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody — who have been sidelined since last season — Brandin Podziemski and Kristaps Porziņģis also aren’t suiting up. So while that would probably mean more minutes and touches for Curry and even Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the Lakers should outperform them on offense. They absolutely can’t get beat by anyone not named Steph from the Warriors.
It would be nice to get a sensational Dončić game right away, because who wouldn’t want that on opening night? Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler can’t afford to be passive or role players. Rebounds will be key for the Lakers because they mean more possessions for a supposedly more offensive-minded team. Ideally, the role players make their shots and their impact is felt in this one. Which one of them will stand out in the season opener?
Remember, a Curry-led team is always worth having appropriate fear for and hopefully that encourages the Lakers to play purposeful basketball from start to finish. There may be 82 games in a season but only one season opener that can help set the tone and begin the year with positive vibes.
Let’s see if the Lakers can secure their first victory on Wednesday.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Cameron Carr (right oblique strain) and Adou Thiero (left knee effusion) will start the season sidelined with injuries.
After missing the whole preseason, Colin Sexton (right soleus strain) is noted as questionable.
As for the Warriors, Jimmy Butler (ACL recovery), Moses Moody (patellar tendon repair). Brandin Podziemski (bilateral low back soreness), Kristaps Porzingis (not with the team) are listed as out.
DALLAS (AP) — Mikko Rantanen scored in overtime to complete a hat trick, and the Dallas Stars beat Boston 3-2 on Tuesday night to snap the Bruins' five-game winning streak.
It was the 11th career three-goal game for Rantanen and his first in the regular season since joining the Stars in a trade during the 2024-25 season. He became the fourth Stars player with an overtime hat trick since the team moved to Dallas for the 1993-94 season.
Rantanen got his first goal early in the second period to tie the game at 1-all, and he tied it again in the third. His winner came on the power play at 3:52 of overtime when he did some nifty stick work in close and fired a shot past the left shoulder of Jeremy Swayman, who earlier in the extra period stopped Wyatt Johnston on two breakaway attempts 10 seconds apart and finished with 22 saves.
Jake Oettinger stopped 18 shots for Dallas (5-3-1) in its third straight win.
Matthew Poitras and James Hagens scored for the Bruins (7-2-1), who concluded their Western Conference trip at 3-0-1. Boston went 0 for 4 on the power play against Dallas, which came in allowing an NHL-best 1.5 goals per game and had the fourth-best penalty kill in the league. The Stars have allowed one power-play goal on opponents' last 25 chances.
Roope Hintz had a shot from in close deflect off the leg of Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, and the loose puck ricocheted directly to Rantanen, who poked it past Swayman with 6:22 left in regulation to tie it at 2-all.
Blake Griffin, who was the face of the Clippers during this era, told Front Office Sports that the organization hasn’t done anything to honor those past teams.
Blake Griffin says the Clippers have never reached out to the “Lob City” group, which made six straight playoff trips with him and Chris Paul.
"I don’t think we’ve ever been asked to come back or do anything or honor that team.”
Blake Griffin reveals the Clippers have yet to honor past “Lob City” era teams. Anthony J. Causi
“I don’t think we’ve ever been asked to come back or do anything to honor that team,” Griffin said.
Between 1997-2011, the Clippers were perennial outcasts when it came down to making the playoffs. The team had only one playoff appearance during this 14-year period in 2006, when they were eliminated in the second round by the Phoenix Suns.
Griffin played for the team between 2009-2018 he and Chris Paul helped change the identity of the team entirely.
During the “Lob City” era, the Clippers made the playoffs six straight years and made it out of the first round three times, in 2012, 2014, and 2015.
“You look back and have a sense of pride because of what the Clippers were before, and it was often a punchline,” Griffin said. “I think that we feel pride in that we sort of got that franchise to a place where it was like, ‘Oh no, you’re expected to make the playoffs. You’re expected to go further.”
Blake Girffin guarding Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis as a member of the Clippers during an NBA game in 2017. Anthony Causi
While the Clippers were starting to be taken seriously in the NBA spotlight, one of Griffin’s iconic moments for the organization happened during the 2010-2011 season.
Blake Griffin reveals the Clippers have yet to honor “Lob City” era teams. Getty Images
“I was just kind of confused where the disconnect was like,” Griffin said. “This is who he’s been his whole career. He’s like a leader. He’s a talker. So why not use that to your advantage?”
“I wasn’t there, obviously so I don’t know everything that went on, but you know, to see it end like that, it’s definitely disappointing.”
New York struggled on both ends and looked, as head coach Mike Brown described them as being “stuck in the mud” in an ugly night, but they did receive a positive from one of their newest and eldest members.
Veteran big manAndre Drummond was one of the Knicks’ biggest early contributors off the bench, shining in the first half before seemingly running out of steam down the stretch in the second.
The backup center ended up being called upon much earlier than anyone could've anticipated, but he did a tremendous job sliding in after Karl-Anthony Towns picked up a pair of early fouls.
Chants of ‘Andre Drummond’ quickly came raining down from the fired-up MSG crowd for the first time as he quickly made his presence felt down low on both ends of the floor.
Drummond needed just over 14 minutes to put together 10 points and 11 rebounds, which, according to the team, was the third-fastest double-double by a Knick since 1996-97. He also became the first and only player in franchise history to record a first-half double-double in the season-opener dating back to that same year.
The 33-year-old picked up just one more bucket following halftime, but he still finished with a dozen points and a game-high 14 boards across 24 minutes in his impressive Knicks debut.
Drummond also recorded a pair of blocks, a steal, and a team-high four assists.
“I thought that he played with a lot of bounce and energy,” Brown said. “We probably ran him a little too long there because it looked like in the second half, not just him but all five of our starters too, ran a little bit out of gas.
“I have to keep getting to know him to see where the minutes may lie for him to be effective for us, but I thought that he was really really, really good on both ends of the floor during the first half.”
Even if Brown has to cut his time down slightly on a nightly basis, receiving this type of production from Drummond would go a long way towards the Knicks bolstering their center depth after losing Mitchell Robinson this offseason.
Oct 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) pulls down a rebound in front of Detroit Pistons forward Tolu Smith (35) in the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The preseason has come and gone right before our eyes, and the regular season is finally here. Several battles took place on the roster, and while some may be decided, nothing is set in stone this time of year.
But we do have a cut-and-dry 10-man rotation at this point. And the first preseason roster cut casualties went down with Haywood Highsmith, Kennedy Chandler, and Phillip Wheeler being waived. Then, Koby Brea and CJ Huntley joined shortly thereafter.
Jamaree Bouyea kept his spot on the roster, and the Suns elected to enter the season with 14 players on standard contracts. Drew Timme was signed after being cut by the Timberwolves.
The Phoenix Suns are keeping Jamaree Bouyea as the 14th player on the roster. They have officialy cut Haywood Highsmith.
So what about the group that actually plays? Well, it’s a shorter list. And preseason told us most of it.
Ryan Dunn emerged; Rasheer Fleming faltered. The center position is still to be determined, though we all know Jordan Ott has that answer… he is just reluctant to tip his hand.
10-Man Rotation
Below you will find the 10-man unit in two groups, along with who may be next in line, with a quick snippet on each guy. Dunn could be the odd man out if they cut it down to a 9-man rotation, depending on the matchups.
Starters
G: Jalen Green
G: Devin Booker
F: Dillon Brooks
F: Miles Bridges
C: Oso Ighodaro
Bench
G: Collin Gillespie
G: Luke Kennard
F: Jordan Goodwin
F: Ryan Dunn
C: Khaman Maluach
Next man up?
Jamaree Bouyea– If Phoenix needs another guard to step in, they trust him. He appeared in 46 games for the Suns last season, including one start.
Duop Reath – Foul trouble, foul trouble, foul trouble. Or an injury to either center. Duop Reath will be relied on at times this season. It’s better if he’s not, but it’s a long season.
Rasheer Fleming – Still a young, talented defender with massive 3-&-D upside, Fleming had a disappointing preseason and appears to have fallen out of the rotation.
Koa Peat – The rook will have to serve his time most likely, but don’t sleep on him. He has an NBA-ready body and will be ready to go if his number is called. If Ryan Dunn falters and Rasheer isn’t ready… enter Koa Peat.
Pat Spencer – Like Bouyea, if an injury occurs, Spencer could be someone they trust as a reserve to give them 10-15 minutes. Similar to all of their two-way guys, they have options if the injuries pile up.
Drew Timme – Depth signing. They’ll see what he’s got in the G League. Don’t expect to see him much, and if you do, it means things went bad.
Early in the second quarter with the Thunder up 37-28, Ajay Mitchell tossed a pass under the net toward Chet Holmgren. The big man was defended by De'Aaron Fox, who shoved him and flipped him so he landed on the court. A scuffle ensued under the net with Kenrich Williams and Jalen Williams rushing over to defend their Thunder teammate. Victor Wembanyama was caught up in the melee and got into a shoving match with Jaylin Williams.
Both teams were separated as the crowd booed. The referees reviewed the scuffle and Fox was given a Flagrant 1 foul for "an unnecessary act." Technical fouls were given to Wembanyama and the three Williams players.
Things start to get chippy between the Thunder and Spurs 👀
Even three hours before the New York Knicks season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, you could sense the excitement outside of Madison Square Garden. The sun had come out, and the bars across the street were filled with the sound of energetic conversations and laughter hours before the workday was over.
“Opening night’s always exciting for anybody and everybody,” said Knicks head coach Mike Brown before the game. “It's starting something new for everybody. It's fresh. Everybody's energized. You know, you feel the buzz. I don't care where you are, you feel the buzz. Here with our fans, I’ve said this many times before, but Knicks fans are different, and the buzz has been going on for a while. You felt it today.”
Obviously, Tuesday wasn’t just any opening night. The NBA champion New York Knicks were receiving their championship rings and having their banner hung from the rafters at the Garden. It was the main event on the NBA’s opening day, and the ticket to get in, which averaged around $2,000, was more than it cost to get into every other opening game combined. There was some fear that the exorbitant cost of entry would impact the vibes in the arena, similar to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, when the high prices and special guests seemed to price out the raucous Knicks fans.
That wasn’t the case on Tuesday, despite the Garden being filled with attendees like NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, singer Jon Bon Jovi, and fellow New York star athletes Cam Schlittler, Ben Rice, Michael Strahan, and many more.
From the moment fans started streaming into the arena, the energy was high. The walkways of Madison Square Garden were filled with Knicks fans wearing championship memorabilia and chanting “Knicks in 5.” As fans walked to their seats, they snapped photos of the championship graphic on the jumbotron or looked over the championship shirts that were on the back of every seat. Some fans hugged the ushers they’ve come to know over the years, enjoying a moment of shared joy. “We did it! We did it!” they smiled.
Unlike most Knicks home games, there was no edge to the crowd (that would come later after one hard foul by Joel Embiid). However, the pre-game atmosphere felt almost relaxed. The mountaintop had been reached. The monkey had been removed from the back. The fans weren’t anxious about the team earning something or achieving something; they were just here to celebrate what had already been completed.
Even though a basketball game was going to be played, the celebration of last season’s accomplishments would take center stage. Which is exactly the tightrope that Coach Brown knew he would have to walk in getting his team prepared for the night.
“It's tough because…this could be a once in a lifetime thing,” he said before the game. “You never know. It's hard. It's hard to accomplish something like this, and you definitely want guys to embrace it and celebrate it with each other because they went through a lot, with the fans, with the rest of the organization, with their families, so you don't want to take that moment away from them. But, in the same breath, we obviously have a job to do tonight. But I keep telling myself that no matter what happens tonight, if we win by five, if we win by 20, if we lose by five, if we lose by 20, there's a lot of basketball left. Whatever happens tonight is not going to define us, and so I would rather they enjoy the moment than me cut it short or carve into their emotions.”
There was certainly no carving into emotions once the ceremony began. It started with a video narrated by Ben Stiller that highlighted what the Knicks title meant to the team.
Then the jumbotron showed a video close-up of the Knicks’ championship rings, designed by Jason of Beverly Hills. The ring, which was crafted in white gold, has just under 800 diamonds and sapphires totaling 22 carats. The white and blue colors aren't the only reflection of the Knicks since the ring also features a built-in mechanism that raises a miniature version of Madison Square Garden, and the removable top of the ring reveals the distinctive ceiling architecture of the area. The words “WORLD CHAMPIONS” are set with 69 diamonds, to represent the Knicks’ 69 combined wins during their season, and the jersey number of every player on the team wraps around the ring. It’s an extravagant ring to match the flash and prestige of the city and team.
Courtesy of Jason of Beverly Hills
“Courtesy of Jason of Beverly Hills”
During the ring ceremony, each Knicks front office member, coach, and player had a chance to stand before the crowd and receive their ring to thunderous applause. When it was the player’s turn, Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier strode to the middle of the floor and had his moment shaking hands with, and presenting a ring to, each member of the Knicks’ title team (minus Mitchell Robinson, who was playing for the Celtics earlier today).
Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado received the first arena-shaking roar of the night, but there were plenty more to come, including when former Knick and current 76er Ariel Hukporti wheeled himself out with a knee walker after his recent Achilles surgery. Unsurprisingly, the biggest cheers came for the playoff heroes. Karl-Anthony Towns was the first starter to walk out, and the crowd would have risen to their feet, but they had already been standing for almost 20 minutes. Game 4 hero OG Anunoby was greeted by cheers and the entire stadium melding into chants of “OG! OG! OG”
By the time Jalen Brunson came out to receive his ring, the crowd was in a fervor. Chants of “MVP” meshed with chants of “[Expletive] Wemby,” as Knicks fans simply seemed happy to scream any kind of support for their team. When Brunson took the mic a few minutes later before the championship banner was raised and told the crowd the team wanted to “do it again this year,” the Mecca of Basketball exploded one more time.
The banner hung over the court for the entire game, watching as the Knicks failed to muster the same come-from-behind magic they had during the postseason and fell 106-100 to the 76ers. Yet, just as Mike Brown had expected, the loss didn't seem to deter the fans. As they filed peacefully out of the arena, a fanbase that would usually have been lambasting the poor shooting performances or the lazy third quarter defense was instead uttering things like "It's a long season," or "I forgot that October basketball doesn't matter as much."
Maybe it was self-preservation. Hopefully it wasn't complacency, but, more than likely, it was still the feeling of joy and appreciation for what this team was able to accomplish last season. In a few days, the banner that hung over the court on Tuesday will be moved to the open spot next to the 1970 and 1973 banners, which will be its final home. A few spaces to the right, the Knicks recently raised their banner commemorating the 2025 NBA Cup trophy.
“I think it's just a recognition of what our journey was like last year,” said Coach Brown. “There were a lot of ups and downs throughout the course of the year, and our guys rallied and figured out a way to win the NBA Cup, and then you go ahead and win the end-of-season final. It's just a recognition not just to our guys, but to the fans out there. We’ve got fantastic fans, and to be able to show a little love to them is pretty good.”
It was a pretty good recognition as part of a pretty good ceremony to honor a pretty great year. Yet, even as the team took it in, they had one eye on the next chapter.
“This is a new season,” said Coach Brown. “It's a new team, new challenges in front of us.”
Starting those challenges out with a loss is certainly not going to dampen the mood in New York on Tuesday. After all, this team has come back from far greater deficits.
The No. 6 pick and his Nets teammates are intimately familiar with the low expectations on this team, to be one of the league’s worst.
To them, it’s fuel.
Mikel Brown Jr. goes up for a shot during the Nets’ win over the Heat in their preseason finale. NBAE via Getty Images
“Yeah, absolutely,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, man, we focus on ourselves right now, focusing on getting better. Like I said before, every game we have something to prove. So that’s the mentality going into it.
“I mean every game is something we have to prove. We don’t really look at the outside world when it comes to that stuff. We focus on ourselves and what we have going on within this organization and this team. We know what we’re capable of, so we got to go out every single night to show that.”
He had 18 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes against the Heat.
Jordi Fernández has suggested he wouldn’t consider starting a player that would be available for fewer than 24 minutes. He wouldn’t answer whether Brown’s minutes limit would be relaxed Wednesday against Charlotte.
Keon Ellis started every preseason game at off-guard, while Egor Dëmin moved over to point guard. Ellis has said consistency of role — regardless of as a starter or reserve — will help.
Mikel Brown Jr. defends Davion Mitchell during the Nets’ win over the Heat in their preseason finale. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
“Oh, absolutely. Just because it comes down, it helps everything,” Ellis said. “When you’re going in the game, if you’re starting, if you’re coming off the bench — which to me that doesn’t really mean a lot — but the consistency of knowing where you’re going to play, who you’re going in the game with, the rhythm that you guys have, that all matters.”
His playing time will surely be even more curtailed than Brown’s.
“A player that hasn’t played a game yet would be, because once again, if you haven’t played a preseason game and then you put your body out there into a real NBA game, I don’t think it would be fair for him to play crazy amount of stints or minutes,” Fernández said. “So yeah, we always take care of our … I’m not going to tell you if he is or how many minutes are, but we always take care of their bodies.”
Michael Porter Jr. courted more podcast controversy by opting to interview right-wing social media personality SNEAKO, who has at points been banned from Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for being violent, homophobic, misogynist and antisemitic.
The pending free agent didn’t endorse SNEAKO’s positions and criticized him afterward.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Philip Broberg scored on a power play at 8:47 of the third period to break a tie in the St. Louis Blues' 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
Robert Thomas set up Broberg's slapper from the middle of the ice above the faceoff circles. Thomas has 332 career assists, one short of matching Brian Sutter for fourth on the Blues’ list.
Broberg also assisted on Jimmy Snuggerud’s first-period goal, and Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots as the Blues opened a five-game homestand. Snuggerud has five goals this season.
St. Louis snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 4-4-1.
Cole Perfetti tied it at 1 for Winnipeg at 32 seconds of the third with his sixth goal of the season.
Give us all the lovely Swedes. | NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders won their second game in a row for the first time in this young season, casting aside their injury woes for a night and beating a team they probably needed to.
The 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks was made mostly comfortable by holding a two-goal lead for most of the game, though at 3-1 they missed a chance to finish the game with the empty net, and that nearly came back to bite them.
With under three minutes to go and a sixth attacker in effect, Alex Killorn converted a Leo Carlsson pass — the $90 million man’s ninth assist — to cut the Isles lead to 3-2 and make things nerve wracking. The Ducks also hit the post in the dying seconds, but tragedy was averted.
Ilya Sorokin only needed 15 saves for the win, but some of them were critical and one of them was outstanding and led to the Isles’ first goal. The Isles went the other way, benefited from a fortunate bounce in the neutral zone, and three rejuvenated old men combined on a pretty play to open scoring at 13:39 of the first: Anthony Duclair with the nifty slip pass to J-G Pageau, who delivered a cross slot feed to Ondrej Palat, who settled a bouncing puck to beat Lukas Dostal.
Is…is Palat good again? At least for the moment, yes.
The Isles doubled their lead five minutes later. After a Matt Kessel pinch, Victor Eklund got up from losing a size mismatch battle in the corner and sprinted to the net to backhand a rebound of a point shot for his second NHL goal.
The Ducks got one back quickly from Frank Vatrano, who was back from doing a thing in Jersey, but Simon Holmstrom restored the two-goal lead before the end of the period. He tipped in a Matthew Schaefer point shot on the power play, Schaefer’s eighth assist of the season.
The second period was scoreless and low event (outside of a fight from Mitchell Chaffee in his Isles debut) the third period even less so. Pete DeBoer’s dream of a smothering, frustrating team defense may be sinking in.
#Isles Pete DeBoer: "The last two games are probably our most complete 60-minute games. Other than sticking the puck in the net, we couldn't have done much more. We did let them hang around because of our lack of finish."
MONTREAL (AP) — Macklin Celebrini scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 2:13 of overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist each as Montreal (4-3-2) surrendered a two-goal advantage for the fourth time this season. Dobes made 26 saves.
Misa, who hit the post earlier in the period, cut into the Canadiens' lead at 5:36 in the third, finishing a feed from Kiefer Sherwood after Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson turned the puck over.
Toffoli tied it with 8:51 remaining in regulation when he buried Celebrini's pass on the power play with Arber Xhekaj in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 20: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks receives his 2025-26 NBA Championship ring before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 20, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
NYC came to party tonight. The Knicks (0-1) received their rings and hung a championship banner before tonight’s inaugural game of the 81st season. As a repeat is not guaranteed, your intrepid blogger tried to appreciate the moment for its rarity.
The visiting Philadelphia 76ers (1-0), with offseason additions LeBron James (14 PTS, 9 RBS, 7 AST) and Jaylen Brown (19 PTS, 8 RBS, 6 AST), came ready to rumble, determined to knock the kings from their throne. The champs, dressed in gold-lettered uniforms for the affair, played with a mix of efficiency and slop, taking and giving the lead throughout. Down the stretch, Karl-Anthony Towns (19 PTS, 12 RBS) drilled a few big shots, Captain Clutch (21 PTS, 6-19 FG) missed a couple, and the first game of the season ended with an L, 106-100.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 53 YEARS, THE KNICKS RAISE AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/mNkMpJva6b
Tyrese Maxey (28 PTS) started the contest with six points, shooting well through the period. Both teams showed opening night jitters, though. New York missed four shots before Mikal Bridges (4 PTS, -15 +/-) put back his own miss, and Brunson got a fortunate bounce for his first trey of the season. Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two fast fouls, and Andre Drummond (12 PTS, 14 RBS, 2 BLK) relieved him.
So far, we were digging the Andre experience. He blocked an Embiid jumper, rebounded over and stuffed Embiid, and intercepted a VJ Edgecombe pass for a dunk. If you picked Dre to lead the team in first-quarter scoring, claim your no-prize at the door. Spoiler alert: he disappeared in the second half and finished 5-of-13 from the field.
James ran the point on a number of possessions and connected with Brown for a cutting layup they’ll run a couple hundred times this season. Landry Shamet took exception to James forcefully shoving him multiple times (no calls) and getting clubbed by Embiid on a drive. ShamWow stood chest-to-chest with the big Cameroonian, and tensions rose when the teams circled around their mates. Things cooled off. To wrap up the quarter, Jose Alvarado slashed to the cup for an athletic layup, Brunson subbed in to float a final shot, and the hometown heroes held a 25-23 lead at the break.
In the preseason, the Drummond-Alvarado two-man game caught our attention. Tonight, they powered the Knicks early in the Q2, helping to give the Knicks a 10-point lead and ignite an 11-2 run. Shamet added his first three-pointer of the season (after a number of misses), and Jordan Clarkson got on the board with a finger-roll.
Also not quite back to game form: the refs whistled 28 fouls in the first half, yet somehow missed contact on a few of Brunson’s drives. The most free throws attempted in a game by the Knicks last season was 38. They had already taken 16 by halftime, and Philly had 21. By the end of the game, the hosts had been whistled 23 times and the visitors, 22.
KAT puts his head down and goes to WORK 💪
Knicks still holding the lead at home as they begin their title defense on NBC and Peacock! pic.twitter.com/UWXDJnQpot
Embiid returned to steady his squad with a pull-up and a triple, plus a few dimes. OG egged his face when he blocked the big fella, but the Pennsylvanians gained momentum as Brunson missed a couple and KAT whiffed at the charity stripe. Fouls bedeviled them, too; Hart and Towns had collected three apiece. After a tight game, Brunson took a Maxey charge, then bucketed off the glass and made three freebies to preserve the intermission lead, 58-54.
With Brunson at the line, LeBron was on the blocks and got into a heated exchange with a fan in the second row. The crowd chanting “We don’t want you” must’ve gotten under his skin.
The Knicks shot worse from the field (42% to 46%), but sat on top due to their 27–19 rebounding advantage. They also outscored Philadelphia 30–20 in the paint, but missed seven freethrows. Through two, Maxey had 16 points, and Brunson had 15. Meanwhile, Drummond had already cooked a 10-point, 12-board double-double (plus two blocks) in 18 minutes. This debut was one to remember.
The third period stunk. Missing eight of their first nine shots, the Knicks’ sloppiness let the Chesesesteaks flirt with the lead before Hart swished a three. We could feel the tide turning, though. With Drummond off the floor, the guests had an easier time penetrating the paint. Anfernee Simons hit three from deep, while Brunson shot 1-of-5 and Bridges, Anunoby, McBride, and Drummond combined to go 0-for-10. With the Knicks throwing the ball away, Brown hit a buzzer-beater to cap an 11-0 run. Philly up 83-76.
Jaylen Brown Hits The Buzzer Beating Three To End The Quarter.
LeBron James Found Him And He Hit The Fadeaway.
The Former Celtic Knocks It Down From Deep As The Superstar Finds Him In Their First Game Together Against The Knicks At Madison Square Garden.
Grand Theft Alvarado didn’t sweat opening night. He poked the ball from Maxey and stepped into a fast-break three. With an OG trey (his first after seven misses), the Knicks rode a 10-5 run to scare Nurse into a timeout. Philly benefited from big shots by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but the unified unit of Towns, Alvarado, Shamet, Clarkson, and Hart kept the deficit at four with five minutes left and Brunson waiting to clock in.
After a Philly timeout, Brown fielded a backcourt of Brunson and Alvarado, teamed with Shamet, Hart, and Towns. The latter swished from the logo to make it 96-95, but Philly’s center countered with his own bomb.
Towns was ready to prove his value, though. He had 19 points and 10 came in the fourth. While Brunson bricked a few attempts, KAT stroked again from deep. A poorly timed Anunoby giveaway became a running Maxey dunk. New York found themselves trailing 104-98 with a minute left. A coach’s challenge overturned an out-of-bounds call and returned the ball to New York with 50 seconds left. Cap wasted little time running in a tricky layup, cutting it to four with 41 seconds to go. At the other end, Embiid airballed from beyond the arc. The ball reached Brunson, who missed a heavily contested triple on the run; no foul was called, and James corralled the defensive board. Ballgame.
Up Next
Mo has a proper recap in the oven. The Knicks return to the court on Friday in Boston. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Declan Chisholm scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second period and Jake Allen made 31 saves as the New Jersey Devils beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Chisholm scored his first goal for the Devils at 12:33 on a power play, putting New Jersey in front to stay after the teams traded goals in the first.
Luke Evangelista, Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Boqvist also scored for the Devils, who recovered from a 4-2 loss at Washington in their previous game.
The 34-year-old Allen, honored before puck drop for playing his 500th career game earlier this month, improved to 4-2-0.
Gabriel Landeskog scored and Artturi Lehkonen added two late goals for the Avalanche, who lost for the third time in four games. Colorado was beaten 3-2 at Philadelphia on Monday.
Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood made 37 saves against his former team. He entered 5-0-0 with a 1.52 goals-against average versus the Devils.
Evangelista opened the scoring at 6:40 of the first with his third goal.
Landeskog tied it at 14:32 with his fourth of the season. The Avalanche captain missed more than three seasons following major right knee surgery. He returned to score 14 goals in 60 games last season.
Gritsyuk’s fourth goal came at 4:39 of the third. Boqvist scored an empty-netter at 16:05 to make it 4-1.
Lehkonen scored at 16:46, then added his team-leading eighth goal with 3.5 seconds left.
New Jersey won for the fourth time in six home games.
Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns played his 1,015th consecutive game. The 41-year-old is 49 games from tying Phil Kessel for the NHL ironman record. Burns has played 1,589 career games.
Up next
Avalanche: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.
pic.twitter.com/VKG4LsRGHi
