The New York Knicks superior previous the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, and so they can primarily thank one other signature efficiency from Jalen Brunson.
The All-Star level guard led his group to a 118-115 win in Recreation 6, ending a contentious collection with a 41-point efficiency. It was Brunson’s third straight 40-plus-point sport and fourth straight with no less than 37 factors. No participant had accomplished the latter within the playoffs since Michael Jordan in 1993.
New York will now face the Indiana Pacers, who put away the Milwaukee Bucks earlier Thursday, within the Jap Convention semifinals.
Recreation 1 is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Madison Sq. Backyard (TNT).
Placing away the Sixers appeared like a a lot simpler job than anticipated within the first quarter, when the Knicks rocketed out to a 22-point lead, however the Sixers got here again and took a lead into halftime. The Knicks later took again management with a nine-point lead late within the fourth quarter, just for the Sixers to once more tie it with 35 seconds left.
Cue Josh Hart:
Hart’s clutch 3-pointer gave the Knicks the lead and a subsequent basket from Joel Embiid nonetheless left the Sixers needing to foul. Donte DiVincenzo and Brunson made 4 extra free throws from there to maintain the sport out of attain and finish the collection.
To summarize, it was an excellent sport for Villanova gamers.
It was an enormous sport as nicely from Joel Embiid, who had 39 factors on 12-of-25 taking pictures with 13 rebounds, two assists and 5 turnovers. He fouled out within the ultimate minute.
Should you had instructed Sixers followers that Embiid dropped 39 whereas the bench mixed for 42 factors, they might most likely ask you the time for Recreation 7. Sadly, scoreless outings by Tobias Harris and Kyle Lowry left them an excessive amount of work to make up in opposition to a extra cohesive Knicks group.
With rotation member Bojan Bogdanovic out for the season with a wrist and foot accidents, the Knicks leaned closely on their starters to take them throughout the end line. Brunson, Hart, DiVincenzo and OG Anunoby all performed no less than 43 minutes, with DiVincenzo staying on the courtroom the complete sport. Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride have been the one bench gamers to see the ground, scoring a mixed 5 factors.
That technique might need left New York gassed for a Recreation 7, but it surely paid off.
It was a becoming finish for one of many first spherical’s most eventful collection. The Knicks took Video games 1 and a pair of, however solely gained the latter due to a frantic sequence during which the NBA admitted New York dedicated a number of fouls to drive a turnover. It took a 50-point efficiency by Embiid for the Sixers to keep away from a 3-0 gap, just for Brunson to reply with a 47-point efficiency in Recreation 4. Then got here a profession night time from Tyrese Maxey to stave off elimination.
It was a hostile, dramatic collection, and the Knicks needs to be comfortable it is over.
