Philadelphia climb to third as Maxey's 28 points sink the Knicks

How a 29-18 third quarter put Philadelphia third in the NBA

Philadelphia's 106-100 win at New York leaves them third in the NBA at 1-0, with a 29-18 third quarter deciding the game. The Knicks drop to 28th of 30 at 0-1.

Only Oklahoma City and Detroit sit above the Sixers after round 1, and both are also unbeaten at 1-0. Atlanta are fourth at 0-0, still waiting for their first game.

Philadelphia's form line reads a single W, while New York's opens with an L. For the Knicks, the defeat came on their own floor, which makes the early table harder to read kindly.

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Knicks vs Sixers quarter by quarter: where the game was won

The game was won straight after the interval, when Philadelphia took the third quarter 29-18. That swing turned a first-half deficit into a lead the Knicks could not overturn.

New York had edged the first quarter 25-23 and the second 33-31, so they went into the break in front. Their offence then stalled, managing only 18 points in the third.

The Knicks responded by taking the fourth quarter 24-23. That one-point edge was nowhere near enough, and Philadelphia closed out a 6-point win.

Tyrese Maxey stats: 28 points, three steals and three blocks

Tyrese Maxey was the player who decided the game, scoring 28 points in 40 minutes and adding three steals and three blocks. His PIR of 27 reflected work at both ends.

He did his damage inside and at the line, going 7/10 on two-pointers and 8/9 on free throws. His outside shot was off at 2/9 from three, yet he still handed out 5 assists against 2 turnovers.

Maxey ranked 13th of 260 rated players by TeamKeys Rating in 2025/2026, and this was a performance in keeping with that standing. Jaylen Brown supported him with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for a PIR of 24.

Brown's total sat below the 28.4 points he averaged over 78 games in 2025/2026, but his all-round line mattered. LeBron James added 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, while Joel Embiid posted 13 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks despite 2/8 on two-pointers.

Why the Knicks lost despite Towns and Drummond

New York lost despite 19 points and 12 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns in only 24 minutes, plus 12 points and 14 rebounds off the bench from Andre Drummond.

Towns shot 3/4 from three and 3/5 inside, matching his 2025/2026 averages of 19.2 points and 11.6 rebounds over 94 games. His 4 turnovers, however, cost the Knicks possessions they could not spare.

Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and was perfect at 8/8 from the line. His 5/16 on two-pointers told a different story, and Josh Hart's 14 points and 7 rebounds could not make up the difference.

Next games: Sixers vs Cavaliers and Knicks vs Celtics

Philadelphia face the Cleveland Cavaliers on 22 October 2026, while New York meet the Boston Celtics on 23 October 2026.

A second win would keep the Sixers among the early pacesetters alongside Oklahoma City and Detroit. For the Knicks, Boston is the first chance to move off 0-1 and climb away from 28th place.