The Knicks pulled off a miracle comeback to secure a 2-0 series lead and defend home-court advantage against the 76ers, 104-101 at Madison Square Garden.
Here are the takeaways...
-Jalen Brunson scored 28 points to lead the Knicks but shot just 8-for-29 from the field. Josh Hart had 21 points and 15 rebounds on 4-for-7 shooting from three.
-Tyrese Maxey scored 35 points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded 10 assists on 12-for-22 shooting and five threes while playing through illness. Joel Embiid added 34 points and 10 rebounds.
-The Knicks starters struggled once again out of the gates, falling behind 11-2 early. Brunson went 0-for-4 to start the contest while Embiid and Maxey combined for 21 points (of their team’s 25) on 7-for-15 shooting in the opening quarter.
-Brunson’s fellow ‘Nova alums stepped up, as Donte DiVincenzo hit a couple of quick threes and Hart aggressively attacked the rim. New York trailed Philadelphia 25-18 after one.
-Maxey kept pouring it on from deep early in the second, then Embiid went to work when Isaiah Hartenstein subbed back in. Both squads went back and forth throughout the quarter, with Philly maintaining a small but consistent edge.
-While Brunson tried to get on track, Hart kept carrying the load, hitting three threes in the second, including a wild pull-up on a two-for-one. His 19 first-half points weren’t enough though, as the Knicks trailed the 76ers 53-49 at halftime.
-The second half opened up with more offense from both teams. Embiid’s 11 points to open the frame allowed to Philly cling onto a one or two-possession advantage, until with four minutes to go in the quarter, a Brunson sweep-through gave New York their first lead of the game.
-After going scoreless in the first half, Hartenstein got to work, scoring ten points in the third quarter. A 13-5 run in the final minutes of the quarter gave the Knicks a 79-74 advantage going into the final period.
-Deuce McBride shook off a slow start to make big plays in the fourth. He stripped Maxey clean of a defensive rebound and scored, then followed up with an and-one jumper to give the Knicks an eight-point lead.
-With the Knicks up one and under three minutes to play, DiVincenzo grabbed a loose ball and was fouled, until a Philly challenge overturned the call. Maxey ran with the momentum shift, hitting a pull-up mid-range jumper and three to take a four-point lead.
-Down five after a 76ers free throw, the Knicks only had a hail mary left. A Brunson three bounced in to cut the lead to two, then a steal on the inbounds led to a scramble, a missed DiVincenzo three, and an offensive rebound that led to a made DiVincenzo three with 13 seconds to go.
-A Maxey lay-up was rejected at the rim by Hartenstein, and after two Anunoby free throws, a last-second Embiid fling drew iron.
Game MVP: Josh Hart
From his Garden-rocking first-half threes to his game-saving inbounds steal, Hart exemplified what fans love about him, this team and the great Knicks that came before them.
He played all 48 minutes, had two steals and two blocks, in his second straight huge contribution to a playoff win.