Sixers drop Knicks, 98-93, thanks to clutch moments from LeBron James and VJ Edgecombe
James played his best game as a Sixer, with a clutch fadeaway and by following VJ Edgecombe's big three-pointer with a tip-in to close the night.
It turned into a nail-biter, but the 76ers beat the Knicks, 98-93, to move to 1-0 in NBA Cup play, thanks to some clutch moments from LeBron James in the best performance of his young Sixers career.
Offense sputters down the stretch
The Sixers’ offense was firing on all cylinders in the first half. Joel Embiid showed off his high-level passing ability, with two of his best coming on consecutive possessions: First with a quick two-man game that led to a VJ Edgecombe dunk and then a pass to a cutting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a layup with 4 minutes, 47 seconds left in the first quarter.
But Embiid (10 points) had a rough shooting day, going 3-for-12 from the field, including 0-for-4 from three, which handicapped the Sixers down the stretch.
James was extremely aggressive offensively, especially in their downhill transition game, and the ball easily whipped around the group even in their set-up game.
Despite the second-half struggles, the Sixers did enough when it mattered. Edgecombe (13 points) hit a massive three to put the Sixers up four with 33 seconds left, but it was James who got the put-in to restore the lead, 91-90, a possession earlier after a three by Jalen Brunson (24 points) briefly put the Knicks in front, and it was James whose putback pushed the advantage to five with 11.9 to play and iced the game. He finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Bench units
Much has been made of the Sixers’ star-studded starting five, but the Sixers’ bench played a big role in Friday’s win. The team announced pregame that Jaylen Brown would miss Friday’s game with left knee tendinopathy, which drew Dean Wade back into the starting lineup.
Embiid and James split the first back-to-back of the year: Embiid played the first leg against Milwaukee, and James played the second half against Detroit. This time, both played the front end and likely will sit tomorrow in Charlotte, N.C.
Dean Wade still hasn’t found his shooting stroke offensively yet — he didn’t even attempt a shot in the first three quarters — but his defensive effort, especially in the second quarter against OG Anunoby, was noticeable.
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Anfernee Simons gave the Sixers a critical stretch in the third quarter after the Knicks went on their first real run of the game, scoring 13 points in just over five minutes to reestablish a comfortable 77-68 lead by the end of the third quarter. He went 5-for-8 from three, had 21 points to finish as the second-leading Sixers scorer behind Tyrese Maxey’s 27, and was aggressive on the boards and as a passer.
Adem Bona, however, had one highlight-reel block, but he didn’t grab many rebounds and was a clear mismatch vs. Knicks backup center and former Sixer Andre Drummond. He was equally inefficient against starter Karl-Anthony Towns. He ultimately committed four fouls and ended as a negative-6 plus-minus in 14:15 of play.
Home-court advantage
The Sixers are used to Knicks-heavy crowds. In the playoffs, their plea for home fans to come to games went mostly unanswered, but on Friday they had possibly their best home crowd against New York in years.
Not to say there weren’t any Knicks fans in the building. There was a sizable contingent making noise, especially during their fourth-quarter run. But the energy and noise from the Sixers faithful well outshined them. After a third-quarter block, James had the whole crowd wagging a finger with him, and the fans exploded when Edgecombe hit the dagger three-pointer.
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
