What happened: Philadelphia visited New York for the 7 p.m. ET tip on NBC and Peacock to open the 2026-27 season. New York cut the deficit to two early in the fourth quarter with Jose Alvarado driving the push on its banner-raising night at MSG.

Why it matters: New York opened defense of its first title in 53 years before a home crowd. A fourth-quarter push led by Alvarado offers an early measure of bench production under title-defense expectations.

What to watch: The closing minutes will decide whether New York completes the comeback at home. The final margin sets the tone heading into the rest of the opening-week schedule.