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Joel Embiid made an interesting suggestion about LeBron James – and it worked

The Philadelphia 76ers edged the New York Knicks 106-100 in their season opener, snapping the Knicks’ banner‑raising night at Madison Square Garden. Joel Embiid, battling three fouls early in the second quarter, asked the coaching staff to let LeBron James take on Knicks center Karl‑Anthony Towns, freeing Embiid to stay on the floor.

James used his size—he actually outweighs Towns by two pounds—to disrupt the Knicks’ pick‑and‑rolls, limiting Towns to just four points on a single shot in the third quarter while New York shot a dismal 5‑of‑21. The defensive switch echoed a tactic from the 2024 Paris Olympics, where coach Steve Kerr deployed James to guard Nikola Jokić, and it helped the Sixers generate transition offense and secure the win.

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