76ers Beat Knicks 98-93: James Late in NBA Cup Opener

The 76ers beat Knicks 98-93 on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, opening NBA Cup group play with a second early-season win over the defending champions and handing New York’s Cup title defense a difficult start.

Philadelphia improved to 5-1. New York fell to 2-4, with both of its losses against the 76ers: Philadelphia also won the season opener between the teams, 106-100, at Madison Square Garden. With the Cup now underway, the Knicks will likely need to win their remaining three group games to advance.

Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 27 points, LeBron James added 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Anfernee Simons scored 21 points off the bench. VJ Edgecombe added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Joel Embiid finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 24 points with six assists and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 12 rebounds.

How the 76ers beat Knicks 98-93

Philadelphia controlled the first half. The 76ers shot 55 percent from the field in the first quarter and again in the second, building a 53-44 lead at halftime. New York managed just 21 points in the first quarter and trailed by double digits after 10 minutes, digging an early hole it spent the rest of the night trying to climb out of.

Maxey scored five quick points to open the third quarter, stretching the lead to 14. Brunson answered with seven points in a 43-second span during a 10-1 run that cut the margin to 59-54, but Simons took over late in the quarter, hitting three three-pointers, two free throws and a tough fadeaway in the final five and a half minutes to send Philadelphia into the fourth ahead 77-68.

The fourth quarter belonged to the stars. Philadelphia led by as many as 11 early in the period before Towns scored on a three-point play, a three-pointer and a driving layup in a span of two minutes to pull New York within 83-76. Towns’ three-pointer with 4:46 left made it 87-85, and Brunson’s three-pointer with 1:32 left gave the Knicks a 90-89 lead, their first real opening of the night.

James closed it. He answered with a tough fadeaway over OG Anunoby to put Philadelphia back in front, and after a Brunson miss, Edgecombe beat the shot-clock buzzer with a three-pointer to make it 94-90. Brunson split two free throws to keep it a one-possession game, but James put back Maxey’s missed shot with 11.9 seconds left to seal the win.

Short-handed, and still standing

The win was more impressive for who was missing. Philadelphia played without Jaylen Brown, who sat out with a sore left knee, giving Simons an increased role that he filled with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Brown was acquired from Boston in an offseason trade, and Friday was the first game this season the 76ers played without him.

Brunson’s night summed up New York’s frustration. He came in off a 38-point performance two nights earlier in Chicago, but shot 8-for-22 against Philadelphia and just 1-for-5 in the final six-plus minutes, including a missed free throw with 32 seconds left that could have kept the Knicks within one possession. Philadelphia’s defense blitzed him repeatedly in the closing minutes, and the Knicks never got a clean final look.

Analysis: Philadelphia can win more than one way

This result says something real about both teams, and it is not just that Philadelphia is 5-1. The 76ers won the opener at Madison Square Garden, then won this one without Brown, with Simons stepping up off the bench and James deciding the final two minutes. That is the profile of a team that does not depend on a single player or a single night going right.

For New York, the concern is the pattern, not one loss. The Knicks have now lost four of six, twice to the same rival, and both times the final minutes went Philadelphia’s way. New York’s comeback ability was its calling card last season, but on Friday it was Philadelphia that answered every run: Maxey to open the third, Simons to close it, and James to finish the game. The Knicks still have the talent to defend their Cup title, but the margin is gone. They now need to win their remaining group games, and they need Brunson to be the closer he was two nights ago in Chicago, not the one who went cold in the final minutes in Philadelphia.

What to watch next

Philadelphia wraps up a back-to-back on Saturday night in Charlotte against the Hornets, and its second NBA Cup game comes next Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. For New York, the Cup math is simple and unforgiving: win the remaining group games or go home early. The next meeting between these teams will carry even more weight, because the Knicks have now seen, twice, exactly how this series is decided: late, close, and in Philadelphia’s favor.