PHILADELPHIA — Down the stretch of a tight NBA Cup contest, the decisive plays inevitably ran through the veteran forward whose presence continues to transform his new squad. LeBron James delivered when it mattered most Friday night, guiding the Philadelphia 76ers to a hard-fought 98-93 victory over the New York Knicks.
Reflecting on the impact of his teammate after the game, Karl-Anthony Towns noted the immediate elevation the roster has experienced. “Obviously, when you add arguably the greatest player of all time,” Towns said, “obviously you’re gonna get a lot better.”
The visiting Knicks had seized momentum late in the fourth quarter when Jalen Brunson drained a three-pointer with 1:32 remaining, giving New York its first advantage since the opening period. But James immediately answered on the subsequent possession, rising over OG Anunoby for a signature turnaround fadeaway jumper that restored Philadelphia’s lead.
“The one was a tough turnaround fadeaway on OG,” Josh Hart said, breaking down the crucial sequence. “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.”
Trailing by three points with 30.8 seconds left on the clock, the Knicks desperately needed a defensive stop to keep their hopes alive. Tyrese Maxey drove past both Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson on the perimeter, penetrating deep into the lane. As Hart stepped off James to contest Maxey at the rim, Maxey’s layup attempt missed the mark. James soared uncontested for an offensive rebound and putback layup, pushing the deficit to five points with only 11.9 seconds remaining and effectively clinching the victory for the 76ers.
James paced his team with six points in the final period, stepping up offensively as Maxey’s scoring output slowed down.
“I’m just trying to get more and more comfortable with what we’re running offensively,” James said following the win. “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.”
Detailing his decisive fourth-quarter execution, James pointed to aggressive playmaking and spatial awareness. “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.”
