Embiid finished with 13 points and 26 minutes and was unable to lift the struggling Sixers, who fell to 2-8. He shot 2 of 11 and had only three rebounds. Paul George led the Sixers with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Josh Hart added 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson scored 18 points.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated game, fans outside the Wells Fargo Center told Action News they were ready to have Embiid back on the court.
"It's about time. We're glad he's back. Hope he turns out the way he did last year," said Jason Dilworth from Cape May, New Jersey.
Action News asked people how they felt about Embiid's recent suspension, which stemmed from an altercation with a Philadelphia columnist.
READ MORE: 76ers' Joel Embiid suspended for 3 games after shoving Philadelphia reporter: NBA
The reporter had mentioned the All-Star center's late brother and his son - both named Arthur - in columns questioning Embiid's professionalism and effort, which sparked the confrontation.
"I don't agree with that suspension personally. I think what he did was justified," Dilworth explained.
"They talked about his family. He (Embiid) shouldn't have done it, it was wrong. He deserved the punishment, but you kind of don't blame him for it. It was outside of basketball," added Marshall Parker from Bear, Delaware.
After a tough loss for the Sixers, fans said they were disappointed but still optimistic for Embiid and the rest of the season.
"(Embiid) did alright. That's what I think. He still needs to come back. He's still a little injured," said Vincent Carbino from Wilmington, Delaware.
"(Embiid) had a three here and there, but just not as aggressive. I know he's injured, but the Sixers bloodline is aggressiveness," added Alex Maglio from New Castle, Delaware.
RELATED: Philadelphia 76ers fined $100K for statements about Joel Embiid's health
Left knee management
By his own admission, Embiid says he won't play back-to-back games this season, meaning he'll sit out Wednesday against Cleveland. The next set of back-to-backs are Dec. 3 at Charlotte and a Dec. 4 home game against Orlando.
The 76ers have been open since the preseason on how they intended to use Embiid this season - manage his minutes and games played to the point where they can safely navigate him to the postseason healthy for the first time in his career.
"Our medical is first and foremost," Coach Nick Nurse said on opening night. "Joel is there, the front office, myself, everybody is weighing in. We're just trying to do something a little different and get him there (to the playoffs) this time."
With this recent loss, the 76ers face an uphill climb into playoff contention.
There have been 20 teams in NBA history to make the playoffs after starting 1-6 or 0-7, though it's been extremely rare in recent years. In the last 27 years, only three teams -- the 2003-04 Miami Heat (0-7), the 2004-05 Chicago Bulls (0-7) and the 2021-22 New Orleans Pelicans (1-6) had such a start and went on to make the playoffs.
Takeaways
Knicks: New York's ball movement and rebounding were the difference in last season's first-round playoff series win over the Sixers. This time, it was balanced scoring that carried the Knicks, who had six players in double figures.
76ers: Embiid was rusty in his first action since the gold medal game of the Paris Olympics on Aug. 10. His shot was slightly off and he appeared winded on defense.
Key moment
New York started the fourth quarter on an 13-2 run that broke open a three-point game. Anunoby had three dunks during the run, often taking dead aim at a vacancy caused by Embiid, who was slow to defend the rim.
Key stat
The Knicks recorded 31 assists on 44 field goals and shot 49% from the floor.
Up next
Knicks: Host Chicago on Wednesday night.
76ers: Host undefeated Cleveland on Wednesday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.