In many preseason predictions, the reigning champions, the New York Knicks, and a significantly strengthened Philadelphia 76ers side were expected to battle it out for first place in the East and the right to challenge the Western Conference leaders on equal terms. The two cities and franchises have a long-standing rivalry, and last season's Knicks title run, which came at the Sixers' expense, coupled with LeBron James' arrival in the City of Brotherly Love, is certain to take that rivalry to another level.And it got underway on the very first day of the new season. Madison Square Garden welcomed its champions, the players basked in the glory of their title triumph, while their biggest rivals could only watch and draw motivation, imagining themselves in the same position a year from now. The Sixers came out on top in their first head-to-head clash of the season, 106-100, but this feels like little more than an appetizer for the even more intriguing battles to come.Q: "1-0, LeBron. What are your takeaways from your debut with your new team?" LEBRON: "I liked the way we played… Good win for us." @KingJames and the @sixers win their season-opener at MSG! https://t.co/gQDWPAZOiP— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026 The first sparks flew almost immediately after LeBron's first basket in a Sixers jersey, as Landry Shamet got into a physical altercation, before Joel Embiid joined in to give him some of his own medicine. The first glimpse of what the Eastern Conference might have in store this season…Unlike Shamet, whose contribution was more or less limited to that incident, veteran Andre Drummond stole the show early on, against all expectations. The Knicks' offseason acquisition dominated the paint, recording a double-double early in the second quarter and even swatting away Embiid.The rise and rise of 6ft 8in Nairobi City Thunder power forward Bramwel MuchinaHowever, LeBron James put him in his place with a long two-pointer right in his face just before halftime. Aside from that shot, it was a relatively quiet first half for "The King", but the Sixers stayed in the game thanks to an outstanding performance from Tyrese Maxey. They made just three three-pointers before the break, while Jalen Brunson carried the load at the other end, keeping the reigning champions narrowly in front.The third quarter opened with a flurry of turnovers on both ends of the floor before LeBron took matters into his own hands and put together a scoring run to give the Sixers their first lead of the night at 64-63. Three three-pointers from Anfernee Simons followed, along with some timely buckets from Jaylen Brown, as Philadelphia headed into the fourth quarter with an 83-76 advantage.LeBron James and Jaylen Brown make their Philly debuts, @sixers open the season with a W ‼️ @KingJames: 14 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST @FCHWPO: 19 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST https://t.co/0tdCrZBsLP— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026 Karl-Anthony Towns brought the champions back into the contest with a scoring run midway through the final quarter. He kept the Knicks within striking distance, but he needed more help — Brunson's, above all. The Knicks guard missed a three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining that would have cut the deficit to just one point, before LeBron put the game beyond doubt at the free-throw line on the ensuing possession.Tyrese Maxey led the way for the winners with 28 points, while Jaylen Brown added 19 and LeBron James finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. On the other side, Brunson was held to 21 points.##NAJAVA_MECA_10047501##