Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges add new element to ‘Nova Knicks takeover − and spoil Joel Embiid’s debut

If 76ers fans were already tired of hearing about the ‘Nova Knicks, Tuesday night couldn’t have helped.

A big night from New Jersey native Karl-Anthony Towns dumped even more local salt in the wound and ruined the Sixers’ NBA Cup opener.

The new-look Knicks dealt a familiar defeat to the Sixers and their fan base inside Wells Fargo Center, spoiling the return of Joel Embiid, 111-99, to the delight of rowdy Knicks fans who once again packed the arena.

“I think the all-around play, being strong on both sides of the ball,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of what impressed him most about his team’s performance. “They’re obviously a different team with Embiid. And then Paul George obviously has added a lot to them as well. ... So I knew it would be a hard-fought game, and it was.”

» READ MORE: Paul George notches best game as a Sixer, and begins long-awaited partnership with Joel Embiid

Former Villanova standout Josh Hart finished with a triple-double, while all five Knicks starters finished with double-digit points in the first installment of the league’s in-season tournament.

Hart finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 24 points, while Towns, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges finished with 21, 18, and 14, respectively.

Some of the faces may have changed, but you could forgive Sixers fans if the result still conjured déjà vu.

Last year’s Villanova-led version of the Knicks sank the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs, winning two games in Philly, including the decisive Game 6, which saw Knicks fans infamously overrun the arena.

Swap Donte DiVincenzo for Bridges and the number of former Villanova players, like the game’s result, remained the same.

In October, DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, Keita Bates-Diop, and a protected first-round draft pick were sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Towns.

Months earlier the Knicks had traded five first-round picks in exchange for Bridges, who graduated from Great Valley High in Malvern before starring at Villanova.

Bridges was selected by the Sixers at No. 10 in the 2018 NBA draft, but was infamously dealt to the Phoenix Suns for Zhaire Smith despite Bridges’ mother, Tyneeha Rivers, having worked in the Sixers organization.

“It was cool, seeing all the banners,” Bridges said. “Wells Fargo was the second home [at Villanova]. We stayed there the whole time. We played in my whole senior year there, so it was cool.”

» READ MORE: Paul George's big scoring night, Sixers' shooting woes highlight loss to Knicks

Paul George led the Sixers with 29 points. Rookie guard Jared McCain added 23. Embiid finished with 13 points, three rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes and shot 2-for-11 from the field.

Towns, a Piscataway, N.J., native, also has ties to the Sixers.

He knew former Sixers legend Darryl Dawkins as Uncle Darryl. Towns’ father, Karl, was friends with Dawkins, who died at 58 in 2016, for more than two decades.

“Any time I get to play with an NBA jersey on, I’m blessed,” Towns said. “This is a dream job and a dream opportunity for all of us. Since we were kids, we look forward to just hoping to have a chance to be here. “[This is] somewhere that I have history with now. Not [just] from [being from New Jersey] but my family, the Dawkinses, and being here. Being around here so much. Seeing the greats, just to be in a position where I’m going to make my own legacy, it’s such an honor, it’s a blessing.”