LeBron James' Late Heroics Lift 76ers Over Knicks in NBA Cup Clash

PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James proved decisive in the closing moments as his Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 98-93 on Friday night.

With the game hanging in the balance, James made key plays down the stretch to help his team secure the win in the NBA Cup.

"Obviously, when you add arguably the greatest player of all time, obviously you’re gonna get a lot better," said Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Knicks, trailing by three with 30.8 seconds remaining, were seeking a defensive stop to regain possession. Tyrese Maxey drove into the lane, drawing the attention of Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson. Josh Hart, who was guarding James, stepped up to defend Maxey.

Maxey's subsequent layup attempt missed, but James secured the offensive rebound and scored a putback, extending the 76ers' lead to five points with 11.9 seconds left, effectively sealing the victory.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson had given the Knicks their first lead since the early stages of the game, hitting a three-pointer to put them up by one with 1:32 left. James responded on the ensuing possession with a turnaround jumper, re-establishing the 76ers' advantage.

"The one was a tough turnaround fadeaway on OG [Anunoby]," Hart described. "And then the other one, I was guarding him, Tyrese turned the corner, got downhill, I stepped up on that. I’m not sure who was on the backside. There was a shooter on the backside, so there was a lot of space. He made a good play hitting the offensive glass."

James scored a team-high six points in the fourth quarter, taking over offensively as Maxey had a quieter stretch.

"I’m just trying to get more and more comfortable with what we’re running offensively," James said after the game. "I think every game and every week that I’m here, my body will continue to ramp up and ramp up and get better and better. That played a part."

He added, "As far as the two shots, just trying to be aggressive. I had a one-on-one against OG. I was able to get to my fadeaway and knock that down. And then [Maxey] draws so much attention, he went for the layup and kind of missed it a little bit and I was able to get the tip-in being in the right place at the right time."