76ers edge Knicks 98-93 in NBA Cup as LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey close it out

The Philadelphia 76ers made it two wins in two meetings with the New York Knicks this season, holding on for a 98-93 home victory in NBA Cup play behind Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James. ESPN's highlights put the two stars at the center of a game that stayed tight to the finish.

James settled it late. According to ESPN's clips from the game, he hit a fadeaway jumper in crunch time, then grabbed a rebound and scored the putback that put the result away. Rookie VJ Edgecombe also gave the Sixers a lift with a well-timed 3-pointer. Maxey handled much of the load earlier, and the combination was enough on a night when neither offense got going. The 98 points were Philadelphia's second-lowest total of the season.

The win also counts in the NBA Cup group standings, where head-to-head results and point differential can decide who moves on. Beating a likely conference contender, even by five, gives the Sixers an early edge in their group. It is also their second win over New York in less than two weeks, after a 106-100 victory at Madison Square Garden in the opener.

Philadelphia moves to 5-1, with wins over Cleveland, Milwaukee, Indiana and New York twice. The only loss came at home against Detroit, 106-93, and the Sixers have won both games since. Through six games they are scoring about 108.7 points and allowing 105.0, a margin of a little under four points a night. That fits a team winning close games more than blowing teams out.

What it means for Charlotte

The Sixers go straight back on the road for a Saturday game at the Charlotte Hornets on October 31, on NBA TV. Philadelphia is 2-0 away from home so far, having won at New York and at Indiana by a combined 11 points. A quick turnaround after a physical, low-scoring game makes legs a fair question, especially for a rotation leaning on James late in games.

The board has Philadelphia only slightly favored. On Novig, one of 11 venues tracked on this site's game page, the 76ers are -108 on the moneyline and Charlotte is +104. The best Hornets price anywhere is +105 at theScore Bet, so there is barely any gap between the venues on the moneyline. Sportsbook hold on that market runs from 4.0% to 4.9%.

On the spread, Novig lists Philadelphia -1.5 at -108 and Charlotte +1.5 at -102. BetRivers has the Sixers at -0.5 for -124, which shows how close to a coin flip the market sees this one. The total is 215.5 on Novig, at -108 for the over and -104 for the under. Elsewhere it ranges from 214.5 at theScore Bet to 216.5 at FanDuel, both at -115. That number is well above what the Sixers and Knicks combined for on Friday, so a quicker pace is expected against Charlotte.

For the full season picture, including schedule and results, see the 76ers team page.