Maxey Scores 27, James Closes Late as 76ers Beat Knicks 98-93 in NBA Cup Opener

Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points and LeBron James hit the two shots that closed the game as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 98-93 on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, in NBA Cup group play.

James finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. His fadeaway over OG Anunoby with 1:10 left gave Philadelphia the lead for good, and he scored again with 11.9 seconds left to stretch the margin to five points and settle the result.

Help around the two stars

Philadelphia won without Jaylen Brown, who missed the game with a knee issue. Anfernee Simons supplied the scoring off the bench, with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting. VJ Edgecombe added 13 points, including a clutch 3-pointer. Joel Embiid had a quiet scoring night by his standards but still shaped the game, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

New York's late push falls short

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 24 points and six assists, but he shot 8-for-22 from the field and went 1-for-5 in the final six-plus minutes. He also missed a critical free throw with 32 seconds remaining, a miss that kept Philadelphia in control of the closing possessions. Karl-Anthony Towns gave New York its inside scoring, with 22 points and 12 rebounds on 8-for-12 shooting, but the Knicks could not turn his efficiency and Brunson's volume into a lead at the finish.

A fast start for Philadelphia

The 76ers built their win early. They led 53-44 at halftime after shooting 55 percent from the field in both the first and second quarters. Maxey then scored five quick points to open the third quarter, and the lead reached 14 points. New York spent the rest of the night cutting into that margin, and got close enough late to force James to win the game in the final minute, but the early cushion held.

What the result means

The win improved Philadelphia to 5-1 on the season, with five wins in six games, and dropped New York to 2-4. It was Philadelphia's second win over the Knicks in less than two weeks. New York is the defending NBA Cup champion, and the loss opened its Cup defense in East Group B, which USA Today called the group of death, alongside Philadelphia, Cleveland, Miami and Indiana. The Knicks now start that group with a loss, while the 76ers start it with a win over the team holding the trophy.