By D’Andre McKenzie | The Way Network
Basketball is back in New York, and Madison Square Garden picked up right where the city left off this summer.
The Knicks returned home on October 20 to celebrate their first NBA championship in 53 years, raising the 2026 championship banner and receiving their rings before taking on the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia walked away with a 106–100 win, but even an opening-night loss couldn’t take away what this night meant to New York.
Outside the Garden, it almost felt like the playoffs again. The media presence, the fans, the energy spilling into the streets. Everything had that extra buzz. After watching the Knicks captivate the city throughout the spring and summer, you could feel how excited everyone was to get basketball going again.
That championship run turned New York into one long party. Replicating that feeling will be difficult, but this Knicks squad has given the city every reason to believe it can happen again.
New York enters the season with the same starting five: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns. With much of the roster intact and Mitchell Robinson the biggest departure, there’s a familiarity to this team that should help as it begins its title defense.
Across the floor, though, was a Philadelphia team with a very different look. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joined a group featuring Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe. Opening night offered an early look at a team that could become one of New York’s biggest obstacles this season.
Before any of that mattered, the Garden had a championship to celebrate.
Being inside for the banner raising and ring ceremony was a special experience. Those are the moments fans wait decades to witness, and after 53 years, New York finally had another championship banner to send into the rafters.
The rings were a spectacle of their own. Championship rings seem to get bigger and flashier every year, and these certainly looked the part. Alex Caruso, now with Philadelphia, also received his ring. Although an injury kept him out of the game, he still got to share in the celebration with his former teammates.
Once the ceremony ended and the ball went up, Philadelphia got to work.
The first half stayed competitive, but the 76ers created some separation in the third quarter. When the Knicks tried to work their way back late, Philadelphia kept answering with timely shots. New York stayed within reach, but the visitors made enough plays in the fourth to hold on.
Maxey was the catalyst, leading all scorers with 28 points. His pace and scoring kept Philadelphia moving, while James contributed seven assists.
For the Knicks, Brunson led the way with 21 points. Towns added 19, Hart finished with 14 and Anunoby scored 10. Bridges had a quiet night with four points, while Jose Alvarado contributed eight off the bench.
The biggest surprise for New York was Andre Drummond.
Facing his former team, Drummond delivered 12 points and 14 rebounds, giving the Knicks a needed spark off the bench. With Towns getting into foul trouble, Drummond’s ability to step in and make an impact was one of the most encouraging takeaways of the night.
That could matter well beyond the opener. If Drummond can consistently give New York productive minutes when Towns is on the bench, he could become an important piece of another deep playoff run.
On this night, though, Philadelphia had more answers. The 76ers looked sharp when it mattered and had enough firepower to finish the job, leaving the Garden at 1–0 while the Knicks opened their title defense at 0–1.
It wasn’t the ending New York wanted, but this night will still be remembered for the banner, the rings and the feeling inside the building.
The city is still carrying the buzz from this summer. One loss won’t erase that. But Philadelphia made an early statement: if the Knicks want to celebrate again, the 76ers could be standing in their way.