On Friday evening, the New York Knicks secured an unassailable 3-0 series advantage against the Philadelphia 76ers in their NBA playoff second-round encounter, concluding the game with a 108-94 victory.
Jalen Brunson contributed 33 points and provided nine assists. Mikal Bridges contributed 23 points, and Josh Hart tallied 12, resulting in a collective 68 points for the “Nova Knicks” while playing in Philadelphia. Furthermore, the Knicks’ substitute players surpassed the Sixers’ backups in scoring, 28-11, primarily due to Landry Shamet’s 15 points.
The New York squad competed without OG Anunoby, as he was benched due to a right hamstring injury he suffered during Game 3.
Regardless of Joel Embiid’s appeals and the diligent work of the 76ers’ ticketing department, a significant number of Knicks adherents — among them famous fans like Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, and Fat Joe — filled Xfinity Mobile Arena, offering vociferous encouragement to the visiting team. It appeared that the Sixers’ home stadium once more resonated like a satellite Madison Square Garden.
Embiid rejoined the 76ers’ active roster subsequent to sitting out Wednesday’s Game 2 defeat. He engaged in early confrontations with Karl-Anthony Towns in the paint; however, the Knicks’ big man drew Embiid away from the hoop, opening up paths for drives and opportunities for offensive rebounds. Sixers’ tactician Nick Nurse countered by assigning Dominick Barlow to Towns, thereby enabling Embiid to stay closer to the rim for defensive purposes and board control.
Nonetheless, Towns continued to contend with Embiid defensively, and the pair collapsed to the court on at least two occasions while vying for advantageous spots. This predicament led to Towns being benched due to accumulating three personal fouls with eight minutes left prior to the halftime interval.
New York asserted dominance during the second period
At the 8:20 mark of the second quarter, the Knicks established their initial advantage in the game, courtesy of a 3-point shot from Jose Alvarado, pushing them to a 38-35 lead. This moment was integrated into an 11-3 scoring spree, which featured a powerful highlight-reel dunk by Mitchell Robinson over Embiid following an assist from Brunson. Ultimately, the Knicks surpassed the Sixers in scoring 26-7, achieving a 54-42 lead.
Paul George initiated the game with an impressive offensive burst, converting 6 of 9 attempts from the field in the first quarter, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, for a total of 15 points. However, he failed to score in the subsequent quarter as the Knicks built their momentum. Furthermore, his defensive commitment was nonexistent after his errant pass was intercepted by Bridges, leading to an uncontested layup.
George registered no points throughout the latter half of the game, failing to connect on his final nine attempts. Kelly Oubre Jr. spearheaded the 76ers’ scoring with 22 points and collected eight rebounds, trailed by Embiid who tallied 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Tyrese Maxey concluded his performance with 17 points.
A unexpected surge from the Knicks’ reserves materialized late in the first quarter and through the middle of the second, primarily from Shamet, who amassed nine points by making four of his initial five shots. This offensive output resulted in New York’s bench overwhelming Philadelphia’s 16-0 in scoring during the second quarter.
As the clock wound down to halftime, Oubre sank a 3-point shot from the wing reminiscent of Kawhi Leonard, reducing the Knicks’ advantage to 60-52. Nevertheless, even with that score, New York firmly established command both on the playing surface and among the spectators, maintaining its grip on both aspects.
Philadelphia managed to narrow the Knicks’ lead to 78-76 with 2:28 remaining in the third period, partly by persistently committing fouls against Robinson with the expectation that he would miss his free throws. Yet, the substitute center partially counteracted this tactic by converting four of his eight foul shots. New York then extended its lead to six points from the charity stripe before Shamet landed a 3-pointer, granting the Knicks a nine-point buffer entering the concluding 12 minutes.
The fourth game is slated for Sunday, commencing at 3:30 p.m. ET. Historically, no NBA team has ever reversed a 3-0 series deficit to claim victory in a playoff series, with a record of 0-159. Merely four teams have managed to extend a series to a seventh game under such circumstances.
