76ers Beat Knicks 98-93 in NBA Cup Opener, Take Early Edge in East Group B

The Philadelphia 76ers have now beaten the New York Knicks twice in the first two weeks of the season. Friday's 98-93 win counted for more than the first one did. It opened NBA Cup group play and put Philadelphia in front in East Group B against the team that won the tournament last year.

Philadelphia won without Jaylen Brown, Yahoo Sports reported. Tyrese Maxey led the scoring with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Anfernee Simons added 21 points off the bench on just 11 shots. Late in the game, the Sixers answered New York with five straight points, and VJ Edgecombe's basket in that run put it away. Yahoo's Jack Baer also noted a near triple-double from a player listed as James: 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

The loss leaves the Knicks at 2-4. New York also lost its Cup opener last season, then won its last three group games to take first place. From there the Knicks beat San Antonio in the Cup final and went on to win their first NBA title in 53 years. One group-stage loss is not fatal. Still, Philadelphia now holds the head-to-head result, which matters if the group comes down to a tiebreaker.

For the Sixers, the win moves them to 5-1, and it was the defense that carried them. Holding New York to 93 points was their second-best defensive game of the season. Across six games they have allowed 105 points a night and scored about 108.7. The only loss came at home to Detroit, 106-93. Since then they have won at Indiana and now beaten the Knicks again, after opening the season with a 106-100 win at Madison Square Garden. The full season log is on our 76ers team page.

What it means for Saturday in Charlotte

The Sixers have little time to recover. They play the next night at the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, October 31 (NBA TV). Winning on the second night of a back-to-back depends on rotation depth, and Simons' scoring off the bench helps if Brown remains out.

The market sees a close game. Philadelphia is a slight favorite on the board for the game, where 11 venues are tracked. Novig has the Sixers favored at -108 on the moneyline and Charlotte at +104. The best Hornets price anywhere is +105 at theScore Bet, so the venues are only a point apart on that side. On the spread, Novig lists Philadelphia at -1.5 for -111. The best Sixers spread price is at BetRivers, at a half-point line for -120. Sportsbook hold on the sides runs from 4.2% to 5.3%.

The total sits at 215.5 at Novig, with the over at -120 and the under at -100. The best under price elsewhere is theScore Bet's 217.5 at -115. Three of Philadelphia's six games have gone past 215.5. The Sixers and their opponents have combined for about 214 points a game, just under the posted number. Friday's game against New York produced only 191.