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Coach Nick Nurse’s Philadelphia 76ers are 3-0 on the season after taking down the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, on a day when LeBron James’ health came into focus. James bounced back from missing the Bucks game with an injury to score 14 points against New York, teaming with Jaylen Brown to beat Jaylen Brunson’s team, 106-100.
After the game, Nurse gave his flowers to Brown, who had a block, a steal and was +17 on the stat sheet in a statement-making win.
“For me, it seems like when he gets going offensively, it also kinda translates to the other end where he’s goin’ and knocking the ball away, playing sticky, physical defense.
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“He’s a part of creating some of those runs (with his defense),” Nurse added.
Brown was second on the 76ers in scoring with 19 points, making 2-of-4 three-pointers. Tyrese Maxey had a monstrous game on offense, racking up 28 points and making eight-of-nine free throws on a day when his three-point shot wasn’t falling often.
Maxey has been in the news lately after a public disagreement with Stephen A. Smith over a past situation involving former coach Doc Rivers. The 76ers won’t have much time to bask in the glory of their 3-0 record as they have a tilt on deck with the young, hungry and undefeated Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren-led Detroit Pistons on the schedule for October 25.
Brown, James and Maxey have passed the early season test of whether or not their complicated chemistry would line up heading into the second week of the NBA season. The trio plays well together and Nurse has a championship pedigree to draw from as head coach. What Brown does for an encore against the Pistons could say a lot about where he’s at as Philadelphia hopes to extend its early season string of wins.
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