PHILADELPHIA — The Knicks defeated the Sixers.
Behind a stout defense, Jalen Brunson's continued offensive brilliance, and Miles McBride's unlikely heroics, Tom Thibodeau's team obliterated the Sixers 128-92 on the road, defeating the OG. They remained undefeated since Anunoby's arrival.
The Knicks (20-15), who have won three straight, held a double-digit lead in the final 30 minutes and held the favorites to just 37 points at the half.
The game ended with chants of “Let's Go Knicks” and “Go New York, Go New York, Go” at the Wells Fargo Center, and the outnumbered fans in attendance responded with a 26-5 run in the fourth quarter. encouraged by the onslaught of
Brunson won a head-to-head battle with Tyrese Maxey, dropping 30 points in 32 minutes.
Anunoby alternated guarding Joel Embiid and Maxey, playing his usual destructive defense.
Isaiah Hartenstein continued to assert himself as a top-level starting center.
But the bench, which had struggled mightily against Chicago two nights earlier, also had the right to collectively request the game ball.
A statement win against the 76ers. AP
Led by McBride's 15 points, the return of Quentin Grimes (18 points) and Josh Hart's energy, the reserves dominated the game and changed the game forever in the first and second quarters.
They sparked a 21-4 run with McBride making four treys, tying a career-high in just five minutes. At intermission, the lead turned to 20 points.
Despite Embiid scoring 30 points and Julius Randle (eight points, 1-of-11 shooting) struggling, the Knicks were able to keep the Sixers from coming back.
It was Embiid's first of four games this season against the Sixers, a team widely considered to be in the top three of the Eastern Conference as a back-to-back MVP candidate.
The Knicks didn't do well in these type of “measurement” matchups, losing six of seven games against the Bucks and Celtics, but they soundly defeated the Sixers in Philadelphia.
“Playing against the top teams in your league or conference is a gauge to know where you are at this point in the season, what you need to do to improve, what's going well. ” Randle said. “So this is definitely a measuring stick.”
