The Knicks silenced the doubters on Friday night, defeating the 76ers 109-94 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead and move within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Even with the return of Joel Embiid, Philadelphia had no answers for New York’s talent and depth. The Knicks weathered an early 12-point deficit, dominated the glass 49-33, and gradually broke the game open behind the poise of Jalen Brunson, the versatility of Mikal Bridges, big contributions from the bench, and another relentless
effort from Josh Hart.
With defense par excellence, our heroes have held their opponents under 100 points for five of their current six-game win streak. Tyrese Maxey, who some in the media have mistakenly called a better player than Brunson, was handcuffed all night and worked hard to score 17 points in 44 minutes. Embiid, the 2022-23 NBA MVP, had to rely on dirty chicanery and still barely cleared 18 points and six rebounds in his 35 minutes. Once again, Paul George scored a dozen out of the gate and then sipped Gatorade for the rest of the game. When Kelly Oubre, Jr. is one’s best player in a playoff game, perhaps one’s championship aspirations are exaggerated? Coach Nick Nurse thought so. He folded in surrender with two minutes left and the game still within reach.
Let’s crack open the gradebook, shall we?
Jalen Brunson
38 MIN, 33 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST, 3 TO, 11-22 FG, 3-8 3PT, 8-9 FT, +13
Brunson started slowly, missing six of his first eight shots, but eventually did what he always does: took complete control of the game. Philadelphia’s traps and double teams failed to rattle him. He dissected the Sixers’ coverage with patience, punished mistakes with smart passing, and buried several momentum-killing buckets late in the fourth quarter. His nine assists were every bit as valuable as his scoring. Grade: A
Karl-Anthony Towns
26 MIN, 8 PTS, 12 REB, 7 AST, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 3-8 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, +3
Towns never found his rhythm as a scorer, but he impacted the game elsewhere. He battled Embiid physically, cleaned the glass, and repeatedly punished Philly’s defensive rotations with sharp passing from the high post. His rebounding helped neutralize second-chance opportunities (eight defensive boards), and his willingness to facilitate kept the offense humming in the second quarter, allowing New York to take a lead that would last the rest of the game. Grade: B
Mikal Bridges
37 MIN, 23 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 0 TO, 8-14 FG, 2-4 3PT, 5-5 FT, +15
After a abysmal first round series against Atlanta, a completely different Bridges has emerged in the second. In OG Anunoby’s absence (strained hammy), Bridges expanded his offensive role and delivered exactly what the Knicks needed. He attacked gaps aggressively, hit timely threes, and spent a good portion of the game in Maxey’s jersey. Perhaps most impressively, he logged 37 intense playoff minutes without committing a turnover. This must be the Iron Man conditioning of which they speak. His steady two-way play stabilized the Knicks throughout the night. Grade: A
Josh Hart
40 MIN, 12 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 4 TO, 6-12 FG, 0-4 3PT, 0-2 FT, +5
Even with a jammed thumb and a crooked middle finger, Hart continues to do Hart things. Who expected any different? He led the team in minutes, grabbed 11 rebounds, defended multiple positions, and relentlessly chased loose balls. The outside shot never arrived (he has eight working fingers, so…) and the turnovers got sloppy at times, but that’s the price you pay when playing full-tilt boogie. His energy and physicality wore Philadelphia down over four quarters, and they have no one who can match him. Grade: B+
Miles McBride
21 MIN, 3 PTS, 2 AST, 2 BLK, 1-6 FG, 1-5 3PT, -4
The lowest grade of the night, and it’s a bummer given how much we revere Deuce around these parts. But, McBride struggled offensively for the second straight game, missing open looks and failing to provide much scoring punch with the second unit. Still, his defensive effort never wavered, and it was essential with Anunoby missing. The Knicks can survive quiet shooting nights from him as long as the defense remains intact. Grade: C+
Mitchell Robinson
19 MIN, 6 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1-3 FG, 4-8 FT, +16
Big Mitch brought exactly the kind of interior force the Knicks needed against Embiid. He protected the rim, controlled space in the paint, and generated extra possessions with offensive rebounding. His free-throw shooting remains an adventure, but he hit half, and that was good enough to end Nick Nurse’s Hack-a-Mitch nonsense. His dunk on Embiid in the second quarter broke Philly’s back and immediately became an iconic Knicks image. It’s the definition of a poster. Grade: B
Landry Shamet
26 MIN, 15 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL, 5-6 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-4 FT, +20
What can you say about Shamet? He kind of fell out of favor in the Atlanta series, but he is always ready to contribute big minutes in a pinch. Last night, he was enormous off the bench. He missed one shot all night and repeatedly punished Philadelphia for collapsing too hard on Brunson drives, providing a reliable parachute for Cap. His spacing opened the floor, his shooting stabilized the bench lineups, and his team-high +20 plus/minus reflected just how impactful his minutes were. Drafted by Philly, wasn’t he? Grade: A
Jordan Clarkson
13 MIN, 4 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 2-3 FG, +11
Clarkson provided solid connective tissue minutes. He moved the ball, rebounded surprisingly well for a guard, and avoided forcing offense. Nothing too flashy, but exactly the sort of steady bench contribution winning teams need in May. Grade: B
Coach Grade: Mike Brown
Brown coached a disciplined, patient game. The Knicks never panicked after the rocky opening quarter. He managed Towns’ foul trouble effectively, leaned into the lineups that controlled the rebounding battle, and trusted Brunson and Bridges to close the door late. In his postgame presser, he called Jalen the blanket to his Linus. If only we all had a Jalen Brunson in our lives (I smell an ESPN skit). Grade: A
The Knicks now stand one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. If they bring this same focus, rebounding, and late-game execution into Game Four, Philadelphia’s season may end on Sunday. Which is Mother’s Day, btw. Don’t forget the flowers. And go Knicks!
