76ers Hold Off Knicks Comeback for 98-93 NBA Cup Victory

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 98-93 on Friday night, despite 22 points and 12 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 98-93 at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday night to win their NBA Cup Group B matchup. LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey secured the victory with late-game plays after the Knicks erased multiple 14-point deficits. A fadeaway jumper by James and a deep three-pointer from VJ Edgecombe in the final 90 seconds halted a New York run that had briefly given the visitors a one-point lead following a Jalen Brunson corner three.

New York fell to a 2-4 record while shooting 40.7% from the field and 31.7% from beyond the arc. Center Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Despite committing only 14 turnovers, the Knicks struggled with offensive consistency, a trend reflected in their current league-wide 30th-place ranking in offensive efficiency. In their three most recent losses, the team has averaged 40.8% shooting overall.

Philadelphia played without Jaylen Brown, who was sidelined by a knee injury, but saw offensive contributions from all five starters. The Knicks trailed by 14 points early in the third quarter before their late-game rally. Head coach Mike Brown noted the team's tendency to seek "home runs" instead of ball movement, while Jalen Brunson cited early-game hesitancy as a primary factor in the loss. This contest served as a rematch of the season opener, which Philadelphia also won.