NBA Opening Night 2026: 76ers Spoil Knicks' Ring Night in LeBron Debut, Pistons and Thunder Win

The 2026-27 NBA season opened on Tuesday (Wednesday morning in Malaysia) with three games, and two of the three home teams were beaten. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the champion New York Knicks 106-100 on their banner night, the Detroit Pistons recovered from 22 points down to beat the Boston Celtics 121-113, and the Oklahoma City Thunder won 116-104 in San Antonio in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.

76ers spoil the Knicks' party

New York raised their third championship banner and handed out rings before tip-off at Madison Square Garden, celebrating June's 4-1 Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs, when Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP. Philadelphia then took over the evening.

Two new arrivals made their 76ers debuts. LeBron James, starting an NBA-record 24th season, had 14 points and nine rebounds, while Jaylen Brown, acquired from Boston in the trade that sent Paul George the other way, added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 28. Philadelphia trailed for much of the first half but finished the third quarter with an 11-0 run and held on.

Brunson scored 21 points but shot 6-for-19, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 12 rebounds. As a team the Knicks shot 37 per cent from the field. The 76ers host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, while the Knicks visit Boston on Friday.

Pistons rally past Paul George's big night

The season's first game, at Little Caesars Arena, looked to be heading Boston's way when the Celtics led 72-50 early in the third quarter. Detroit cut the gap to six by the end of the quarter and took control in the fourth.

Cade Cunningham had 22 points and eight assists, Jalen Duren 22 points and nine rebounds, Duncan Robinson 21 points and Javonte Green 19, despite Green not playing in the first half. Ausar Thompson added a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The defeat overshadowed a superb Celtics debut from George. The nine-time All-Star scored 38 points, the most by a Celtic in his first game for the club, hitting seven of his 12 three-pointers. Jayson Tatum had 11 assists but only 13 points, missing 17 of his 23 shots, including all seven of his three-point attempts.

Thunder get early revenge on the Spurs

Oklahoma City lost a seven-game Western Conference final to San Antonio last season, with the decider played on their own court. On Tuesday they led by as many as 26 points in the first half at Frost Bank Center.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points on 13-of-27 shooting, with three blocks and three steals. Jared McCain hit six of eight three-pointers for 20 points off the bench, and Chet Holmgren had 14 points and four blocks, two of them against Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs star had a night to forget. He made just one of 13 shots from the field and scored 12 points, 10 of them from the free-throw line. San Antonio opened the third quarter with a 23-9 run to get within single digits, but the Thunder closed it out.

Early talking points

One night is a small sample, but a few themes stand out. Philadelphia's new-look roster won a hostile road game on day one. Detroit showed again that they can come back from big deficits. And Oklahoma City, healthy and deep, looked ready to challenge for the title again. For Malaysian fans, most US evening games tip off between roughly 7am and 11am Malaysia time, which makes them a breakfast-time watch on NBA League Pass.

Key takeaways

• The 76ers beat the champion Knicks 106-100 on banner night, with Tyrese Maxey scoring 28.
• LeBron James (14 points, nine rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (19 points) won on their Philadelphia debuts.
• Detroit came back from 22 points down to beat Boston 121-113 despite 38 points from Paul George.
• Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 116-104 as Wembanyama went 1-for-13 from the field.

FAQ Q: How did LeBron James do in his 76ers debut? A: He had 14 points and nine rebounds in a 106-100 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, starting his record 24th NBA season.

Q: Who did the Knicks beat to win the 2026 NBA title? A: The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, and Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP.

Q: How many points did Paul George score in his Celtics debut? A: George scored 38 points, the most by a Celtic in a debut, but Boston lost 121-113 to Detroit.

Sources: CBS Sports, FOX 29 Philadelphia, Boston 25 News / AP, News On 6, NBA.com