76ers hold off Knicks 98-93 in NBA Cup opener, move to 5-1 without Jaylen Brown

The Philadelphia 76ers have now beaten the defending champions twice in eight days. Friday's 98-93 home win over the New York Knicks opened group play in the NBA Cup and pushed Philadelphia to 5-1. They did it without Jaylen Brown, who sat with a left knee issue, Sixers Wire reported.

The New York Post had called the game a Cup opener with an edge to it. New York, last season's Cup winner, came in on a two-game winning streak after losing its first three games, and Brown was listed as a game-time decision. The Knicks are now 2-4. Philadelphia has won both meetings, and the teams do not play again until Feb. 11.

Tyrese Maxey led the way with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. Anfernee Simons added 21 off the bench, and LeBron James finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Dean Wade took Brown's spot in the starting lineup and had three steals in the first half. Philadelphia led by 14 early in the third quarter, but New York won the second-chance battle 20-7 and kept coming back. A tightly guarded Jalen Brunson corner three gave the Knicks a 90-89 lead late. James answered with a midrange jumper, VJ Edgecombe hit a three from the top of the key, and James tipped in a Maxey miss to put the game away. ESPN also credited James with the go-ahead fadeaway late in the game. Brunson scored 24 and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 12 rebounds.

The result means more than the standings show. Philadelphia beat a projected Eastern Conference contender while one of its top scorers sat, and the bench kept the lead alive when the starters struggled. Simons has been hot over the last two games, and the Cup gives the 76ers an early group-stage win over the team most likely to stand between them and the knockout round.

What it means for Charlotte

The second half of a back-to-back comes Saturday night in Charlotte, on NBA TV. Philadelphia has won four of its last five. That run includes a 114-109 win at Indiana on Wednesday, where NBC Sports Philadelphia noted a 39-point fourth quarter. The only loss of the season is a 106-93 home defeat to Detroit. One open question is whether Brown's knee keeps him out a second night. Another is how much the starters have left after a physical game with the Knicks. The next Cup game is Friday against Cleveland, a team Philadelphia has already beaten 114-106.

The board for Saturday's game has the 76ers as narrow road favorites across 11 venues. On the moneyline, Novig has Philadelphia favored at -115 and Charlotte at +108. The best Philadelphia price anywhere is FanDuel's -112, only three cents away. On the spread, Novig lists the 76ers at -1.5 for -108, while BetRivers offers -0.5 at -120. Novig's total sits at 215.5, with the over at -111 and the under at even money. FanDuel's best under is 217.5 at -114. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline runs from 3.8% to 5.3%, so prices are close from one venue to the next. A line under two points fits a tired team playing its second game in two nights.