Knicks spoil Joel Embiid’s season debut with 111-99 win over 76ers: Key takeaways

By James L. Edwards III, David Aldridge and Zach Powell

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid made his long-anticipated season debut Tuesday against the New York Knicks. Despite four 76ers’ finishing in double figures, the Knicks made a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to grab a 111-99 win over the 76ers in both team’s NBA Cup opener.

The loss dropped Philadelphia to 2-8 this season.

Embiid, who missed the previous nine games due to left knee injury management, then a suspension for shoving a Philadelphia sports columnist, finished with 13 points and five assists along with three rebounds.

The seven-time All-Star got off to a slower start, tallying two turnovers early in the first quarter and totaling just two points and three assists in the opening 12 minutes. Embiid finished the first half without a made field goal, connecting on eight made free throws. Paul George finished with a team-high 29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals, while rookie Jared McCain finished with 23 points.

The Knicks were led by a flurry of players. OG Anunoby finished with a team-high 24 points and six rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and six assists and Jalen Brunson added 18 points and five assists. Miles Bridges and Josh Hart both finished with 14 points apiece. Hart added 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Brunson exited the game in the third quarter with an apparent foot injury and briefly went back to the locker room, but returned to finish the game minutes later.

Here’s what we learned:

Embiid was rusty, while Towns got the last laugh

Playing against his old, perhaps now former nemesis Karl-Anthony Towns – making the Knicks and 76ers, incredibly, even more compelling – Embiid , who got mostly thunderous applause as he was introduced, was clearly rusty in his regular season debut, playing 26 minutes, making just 2-of-11 shots from the floor and scoring 13 points in the Knicks’ victory. (Last season, when Embiid scored a franchise-record 70 points against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, it didn’t escape his attention that the same night, Towns, then with the Timberwolves, scored a Minnesota franchise record 62 points … in a loss to Charlotte.)

Tuesday, though, Towns got the better of things, with 21 points and 13 rebounds, finishing the game while Embiid sat on the Philly bench in favor of veteran Andre Drummond, who’s started in Embiid’s absence for the injury-plagued Sixers.

Yes, Embiid played for Team USA in the Olympics, including a huge game against Nikola Jokić and Serbia in the semifinals, showing up when the United States needed him most. But that stint was two-plus months before the start of training camp, and the time off showed.

Against New York Tuesday, he missed his first five shots from the floor, not scoring a field goal until he hit a 3-pointer with nine minutes left in the third. But Embiid, who led the NBA in free throw attempts in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and has been top five in free throw attempts in four of his eight full seasons, went 8-of-8 from the line in the first half. — David Aldridge, NBA columnist

As Embiid ramps up, 76ers at least show some potential

It will take Embiid a while to get his wind, even though Sixers coach Nick Nurse played him in five- and six-minute bursts throughout the game. (Pregame, Nurse had said the pitch count for Embiid would be about 25-30 minutes.) Embiid was pulling noticeably on his shorts after his first stint of the second half. And though he asked the crowd to rise up late in the third quarter, he couldn’t lift Philly up in the fourth, as New York pulled away.

👏 SOUTH PHILLY MAKE SOME NOISE! 👏 pic.twitter.com/kWWEOpxh3n

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 13, 2024

But it’s crystal clear how formidable the 76ers can be when Embiid gets back to his old self. George looked every bit the silky smooth forward he’s been for a decade, taking over for long stretches en route to a game-high 29 points. And when Tyrese Maxey is back from his hamstring injury, he may not see a top primary defender the rest of the season. Philadelphia’s offensive potential is staggering once everyone is healthy.

The 76ers are then doubly fortunate that a 2-8 start didn’t bury their playoff chances in the less-than-fully-functional Eastern Conference; the Sixers entered play Tuesday just a game out of the Play-In round. — Aldridge

But have they dug too big a hole? At least the East is forgiving

Embiid’s is back, George is rounding into form after missing the start of the season and Tyrese Maxey may return as soon as next week from his injury. Philadelphia has spotted its toughest Eastern Conference competitors several games in the standings because of injuries, but the season is young, so Philadelphia can easily find itself back in the top of the East by the end of the season.

Tings will likely stay bad before they get better. George has to figure out how to fit in with both Maxey and Embiid on the floor, while the role of promising rookie McCain has to be figured out as the new star trio starts their new adventure together. The 76ers have a lot of ironing out to do over the next few weeks, but at least they’re one step closer in the process of figuring out how good they can actually be. — James Edwards III, Knicks beat writer

Paul George has his best game in Embiid’s return

George has struggled since joining the 76ers as he tries to get into game shape following a preseason bone bruise in his knee, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he had his best game with Embiid playing. George, who scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on 10-of-19 shooting, spent his first few games as a 76er playing without another dominant presence alongside him, and he’s struggled being the focus of the opponents’ game plan.

With Embiid returning, George was able to step into easier shots and had more space to operate. Going forward, being the second or third fiddle will be best for George at this stage of his career, and playing off the often-doubled Embiid should create much easier scoring opportunities — Edwards III

Will Embiid play in the second game of a back-to-back?

Embiid said he wants to play Wednesday as the 76ers host the undefeated Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center, even though the plan all along has been for him not to play both ends of back-to-backs. But both he and Paul George will be evaluated by the team’s medical staff Wednesday morning to see how they recovered from Tuesday’s game with the Knicks.

“It’s not my decision,” Embiid said. “If I can, I’ll be out there.” — Aldridge

Required reading

(Photo: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images)