LeBron James praised the Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive adjustments and late-game execution after they rallied to defeat the New York Knicks 106-100 in Tuesday’s season opener at Madison Square Garden.
James finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his first regular-season game for Philadelphia. The 41-year-old, beginning his record 24th NBA season, highlighted the team’s second-half defense as a key factor in overcoming the Knicks.
“I thought our defense in the second half,” James said. “In the first half, we played good first-stop defense, but we gave some second-chance points, offensive rebounds. They got some threes off us not closing with a defensive rebound.”
Philadelphia addressed those problems after halftime, limiting New York’s second chances and finishing possessions more effectively.
“The biggest thing from tonight is that we knew that we gave them some pick-sixes in the first half and we knew we gave them offensive rebounding in the first half where they had second-chance points, and we cleaned that up in the second half,” James said. “That’s the sign of a good team.”
James also credited his teammates for making important plays when the Knicks threatened to erase Philadelphia’s lead in the fourth quarter.
The 76ers led 83-76 after Jaylen Brown hit a three-pointer at the end of the third quarter, capping an 11-0 run. New York later pulled within one point at 96-95, but Joel Embiid answered with a three-pointer, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anfernee Simons provided crucial perimeter shooting.
“In the fourth quarter, we did a good job of executing,” James said. “We did a good job of pressing the tempo when we got the lead and then when they cut the lead, we made some timely shots.”
James singled out the contributions of his teammates, including Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Embiid and the bench players.
“Obviously Tyrese was Tyrese,” James said of Maxey, who led Philadelphia with 28 points. “You look at the three on the right wing from Joel. You look at the three from KCP right by their bench at the end of the clock. And some of the plays that JB and VJ had, too, was special. Big shout out to Ant, too. Those minutes he gave us off the bench were crucial.”
Despite the opening-night victory, James cautioned that Philadelphia still needs time to develop chemistry after its offseason changes.
“It’s still going to take some time. I mean, it’s just one game, but obviously we can learn from the good things that we did. We can learn from the bad things that we did tonight,” he said.
James also described the work required to build a championship culture, explaining that accountability must begin with his own preparation.
“I’m there every day. I’m there before everybody gets to the gym. And I’m one of the last ones to leave,” he said. “I don’t just be telling guys to do it. I hold myself accountable.”
Philadelphia will try to build on its opening win when it hosts Cleveland on Thursday.
