Yesterday, the New York Knicks (19*-8) won a last 114-113 battle with the Pacers in Indiana. Tonight, they were back at Madison Square Garden to face the Philadelphia 76ers (15-11).
The Knicks struggled with turnovers (again) and three-point shooting to start, but managed to close the first quarter tied at 29. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson helped the home team crush the paint and the glass, making up for poor shooting and giving them a 59-57 halftime advantage. The back-and-forth continued
in the third, which Philly won 31-28. In the fourth, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey hit big buckets while the Knicks stalled out down the stretch. After 19 lead changes, the Sixers take the W, 116-107.
Robinson had his best offensive game of the season, scoring 21 points thanks to making seven consecutive free throws. He finished 7-of-8 from the line and grabbed 14 rebounds for the double-double. In fact, New York crushed Philly 57-36 on the glass and 60-36 in the paint, thanks to KAT’s 22-11 double-double. But the Knicks were outshot 41% to 25% from deep, missing 24 long attempts, and they turned the ball over 18 times. Fatigued from all the travel this week? Sure looked it against a Philly team that was coming off four days’ rest.
Jalen Brunson scored 22 points on 7-of-22 FG, six boards, and nine assists. Bridges recorded 21 points on 9-of-16 FG; Josh Hart scored five points, attempting just seven shots; and OG Anunoby recorded two points on 1-of-9 shooting in 32 minutes.
Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson chipped in nine points in 16 minutes, but Tyler Kolek came back down to earth, scoring two points, four turnovers, and five fouls in 15 minutes. Nonetheless, the sophomore was a plus-4 when four of the starters were negative double-digits.
For the Pennsylvanians, Tyrese Maxey totalled 30 points and nine assists on 11-of-24 shooting, 6-of-12 from deep. Rookie V.J. Edgecombe was a demon down the stretch, finishing with 23 points on 10-of-18 and 3-of-6. And Andre Drummond, filling in for an ill Joel Embiid, logged a 14-13 double-double.
Remember to cast your All-Star votes, Knicks fans.
First Half
The game opened with a fast-paced, physical quarter. Maxey and Barlow carried Philadelphia’s offense, with the former pushing the tempo and shooting threes, and the latter hustling for put-backs and finishes at the rim.
For the good guys, Brunson—coming off a clutch performance last night—countered Philly’s punches with drives into the paint and a nifty highlight lob to Mitchell Robinson, but the home team struggled to convert from deep early on. Through the quarter, they committed five turnovers, which was a problem yesterday and helped the Sixers outshoot them by seven field goals tonight. Hart and Bridges delivered timely buckets to keep the game from getting out of hand early, and as the clock dwindled, the shots started falling. By the frame’s end, the score was tied at 29.
Tyler Kolek received a loud ovation when he checked in to start the second period. In five minutes, the spunky sophomore had his pocket picked twice and committed three fouls, bringing his balloon a little closer to terra firma and sending him back to the pine.
The dynamic duo of Towns and Robinson helped the Knicks go on an 8-0 run. With the twin towers hard at work, the Knicks out-rebounded the Cheesesteaks 2-to-1 and vastly outscored them in the paint, which compensated for New York’s 3-of-13 shooting from deep with about five minutes left in the half.
Off the bench, rookie Mohamed Diawara, who received praise from the coach after last night’s win, logged time, as did Jordan Clarkson, shooting well to bolster the second unit. For the Sixers, OAKAAKUYOAK Quentin Grimes played the entire quarter but attempted just two shots for five points.
New York’s lead reached six in the quarter, and they entered halftime ahead 59-57.
Philadelphia had hit 43% from the field and 9-of-25 from three, while New York countered with stronger interior scoring, winning the points in the paint 36-18. The home team ruled the glass 33–16, including a 12–5 advantage on the offensive boards, which helped offset their eight turnovers and shoddy three-point shooting (4-for-17). New York had been a bigger beneficiary of the whistle, touching the charity stripe 14 times to the Sixers’ six. Maxey led all scorers with 17 points; Brunson had 16.
Second Half
The third quarter was another back-and-forth affair, with the Knicks holding a 76–75 edge at the midway point. KAT was a force for the Knicks, collecting 11 points on efficient inside-outside scoring, including two three-pointers, two layups, and four free throws, while also grabbing a handful of rebounds. Bridges provided crucial perimeter scoring for New York with 10 points on three made three-pointers, helping to counter Philly’s building momentum. Robinson exploded off the bench, scoring seven points on a layup and four (!) consecutive free throws, plus grabbing any loose ball within ten feet of him.
Kolek got a couple of minutes to spell Brunson and managed to commit two more turnovers and a foul. Rough night for T.J. McConnell 2.0.
Maxey led Philadelphia’s offensive attack throughout the quarter with his playmaking, drawing fouls and setting up teammates despite some missed shots. And Drummond had a hot hand, sinking two bombs and holding his own on the glass. Off the bench for Philly, Justin Edwards brought the energy, snagging two steals. Thanks to an Adem Bona free throw, the villains brought an 88-87 lead into the final frame.
They stuck to the script in the fourth. Maxey drew first blood for Philly, and Jared McCain was impactful off the bench, contributing eight points. Robinson continued to be a force, scoring eight more points, with an alley-oop, a tip-in, and more free throws. The Knicks coughed up the rock again and again, though, and Bona was a pest, blocking two shots by OG Anunoby.
Brunson’s legs seemed tired, with multiple shots ringing off the front of the rim, and Edgecombe was cooking, scoring from near and far in a big-time debut at the Garden. As the game reached crunch time, the Knicks’ legs turned to rubber while the Sixers looked fresh enough to play another quarter.
Up Next
The Heat from Miami pays a visit to New York on Sunday. Ice up, Knickerbockers.
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
