PHILADELPHIA — The Knicks missed KAT and the 76ers were without the majority of their team.
With Karl-Anthony Towns out with a sprained right thumb and, as the Post first reported, a chip in the same finger bone, the Knicks blew a 16-point lead in the first half and forced overtime Wednesday. They narrowly won 125-119. The night they played against the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Everyone had their moments in this game, but Jalen Brunson overcame a key turnover late in regulation to score eight of his game-high 38 points in the overtime session.
“It's my fault. It was just carelessness and I could have understood my surroundings and kept my team out of that situation. But if we were together, I’m glad we got the win,” Brunson said. “It was a position we shouldn't have been in. But we turned the page and were ready.”
Fellow Villanova graduate Mikal Bridges contributed 23 points as the Knicks improved to 27-15 ahead of Friday's home game against Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and the Timberwolves at The Garden. .
Josh Hart also had an incredible performance, recording his fifth triple-double of the season for the Knicks with 10 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, and 4 steals.
“Can you say something about Josh? He wanted that game at the end. There were some hustle plays and they saved the game,” Thibodeau said.
“Find a way to impact the game. I think that's the biggest thing for me,” Hart said. [for me]. You don't have to go out there and score 20 or 25 points a game.
“So I have to find a way to impact the game, and my way is rebounding. I need to be better defensively. Just making some of those energy plays.”
Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond were among the regulars in the rotation who were sidelined against Philadelphia (15-23), but Tyrese Maxey (33 points) and Paul George (26 points) were on the roster the night before. He returned from missing the loss to the Thunder.
The Knicks went 10-of-19 (52.9 percent) from long range and led by as many as 16 in the first half before going into intermission leading 60-47.
Hart dunked on fill-in starter Jericho Sims (eight points) early in the third, but Maxey's transition bucket pulled the Sixers within nine points.
Sims flashed another jam with just two minutes left, but George's three consecutive buckets cut the gap to one.
Brunson's scoop gave the Knicks a three-point lead, but Jeff Dowtin Jr. hit a 3-pointer to make it 85-85 going into the final period.
Justin Edwards' mid-range jumper and 3-pointer brought the score to two, then McBride came back for a steal, and Hart and Brunson's close-range buckets made it 100-94 with five minutes left.
Long shots from Maxey and Edwards re-balanced the game, but Hart stripped Kelly Oubre for a dunk, drawing a roar from the raucous Knicks fans in the room.
Precious Achiuwa then denied Maxey at the rim and OG Anunoby (17 points) hit a triple from the right corner to make it 107-102 with 1:26 left.
76ers. NBAE (via Getty Images)
Brunson sank a runner on the right side after Maxey's 3-point play, but gave up the ball with seven seconds left, and Anunoby was asked to tie the game again with Maxey for goaltending with 3.2 ticks left in regulation.
Anunoby missed an 18-foot shot before the fourth-quarter buzzer, but he made a two-handed jam over the baseline and started an 8-0 run that began overtime. Brunson also sank a 3-pointer and added five free throws to loud chants of “MVP” to make it a 119-111 game.
“It was just a hard-fought game. We knew it was going to be,” Thibodeau said. “They put a lot of pressure on us. I liked the way the game went into the game and I thought we played really well in the first half.
“We came out punchy in the second half and then played tough late on and obviously in overtime. We knew they were going to be a rough team, but I liked what they did defensively. . I thought we got some easy baskets off turnovers.”
