Father Time remains undefeated, but LeBron James is making a convincing case that he's its toughest opponent yet.

The 41-year-old NBA superstar delivered his best performance of the season Friday night, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to an electrifying 98-93 victory over the defending champion New York Knicks in their NBA Cup opener.

James finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, narrowly missing a triple-double while making history in the process.

With his 20-point performance, James tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the fifth-oldest player in NBA history to reach that scoring mark in a game.

The achievement added another milestone to James' legendary career, now in its record-setting 24th season. But while his place in NBA history continues to grow, it was his ability to deliver in the closing minutes that helped Philadelphia secure the victory.

Philadelphia appeared to be in control for much of the contest, building a 14-point advantage before New York mounted a fourth-quarter comeback.

Jalen Brunson connected on a three-pointer with 1:32 remaining to give the Knicks a 90-89 lead, putting the pressure squarely on Philadelphia.

James responded.

The four-time NBA champion knocked down a go-ahead fadeaway with 1:10 remaining before rookie VJ Edgecombe connected on a crucial three-pointer to extend Philadelphia's advantage.

James later added a putback basket to help seal the victory.

Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 27 points, while Anfernee Simons contributed 21 off the bench. Brunson finished with 24 points for New York, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 12 rebounds.

The victory improved Philadelphia to 5-1 on the season and gave the 76ers a 1-0 start in NBA Cup group play.

It also marked Philadelphia's second victory over New York this season.

For James, the performance served as another reminder of his ability to influence winning basketball well into his 40s.

While the NBA's all-time leading scorer has already accomplished nearly everything possible during his legendary career, Friday's performance showed that he remains capable of delivering when the stakes are highest.

And with Philadelphia emerging as an early contender in the Eastern Conference, James' latest milestone may be only part of a much bigger story.