LeBron moonlights at center, helps limit Knicks' Towns in winning Sixers debut
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NEW YORK -- If necessity is the mother of invention, then the Philadelphia 76ers can thank the referees for aiming their whistles at Joel Embiid as the reason LeBron James was unlocked defensively in Tuesday's 106-100, season-opening win over the New York Knicks .
Embiid said when he picked up his third foul late in the second quarter that it was his idea to have James fill in for him at center to close the half.
"I suggested that to the guys, the coaching staff, because I just felt like the way they were calling fouls, I just felt like -- and I was just being honest -- I wasn't going to be as aggressive as I should be on defense, having three fouls, wanting to stay on the floor," Embiid said. "I just told them I thought we should do that."
Philadelphia trailed New York 51-46 with 2:13 remaining in the second quarter when Embiid checked out and was able to keep the score close. James defended six-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to finish the quarter, and the Sixers stayed in striking distance, down 58-54 at the break.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said the matchup was something the coaching staff had contemplated leading into Tuesday, with Philadelphia's front line depleted because of Dean Wade being out with a left ankle injury and backup center Ariel Hukporti already out for the season following right Achilles surgery.
"[We discussed putting] a 4-man on KAT, because there's so many pick-and-rolls with him and [ Jalen] Brunson that gives you some versatility to play some other coverages," Nurse said. "I think it was good. ... Over the long haul, it was very good for us, I think."
James opened his record-setting 24th season with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. One of his most impactful plays of the game, however, didn't show up in the box score.
With just under two minutes remaining and the Sixers up 102-98, James pressured Towns beyond the 3-point line, denying a passing angle for OG Anunoby to deliver him the ball. Instead, Anunoby attempted a crosscourt pass to Mikal Bridges on the wing that Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey intercepted and turned into an uncontested dunk on the other end to put Philadelphia up by six with 1:52 remaining.
"Obviously, KAT is very dangerous when he has space," James said. "I wanted to be there on the catch and not give him no airspace. ... And Tyrese just playing center field was able to jump that and get that dunk. That was a big momentum play."
James said whatever success he had flanking Towns came from his teammates' direction. He said it was "all a team effort," crediting the Sixers' constant chatter on defense for limiting the blind spots for Towns to exploit.
"So just try to have that communication just at a high level," he said.
Embiid, who finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks, said it was a similar defensive strategy that Team USA employed when the pair teamed up at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and James guarded Serbian big man Nikola Jokic in the semifinals.
Said Embiid: "It changes everything."