Knicks lose opening NBA Cup game to Sixers 98-93

Defending champion New York Knicks opened their NBA Cup title defense with a 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. The Sixers secured the win despite missing Jaylen Brown, who is out with patellar tendinopathy.

Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, while LeBron James contributed 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Knicks. Anfernee Simons added 21 points off the bench for New York.

New York rallied in the fourth quarter and briefly took the lead, but Philadelphia responded with a five-point run capped by a three-pointer from VJ Edgecombe to regain control.

The defeat leaves the Knicks with a 2-4 overall record and 0-1 in NBA Cup play, joining a group that also features the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.

"We fought hard and stayed in the game until the end," a Knicks spokesperson said after the loss.

The loss follows a similar opening-night defeat for New York in the previous season's NBA Cup, though the team later won three straight games to capture the championship.