PHILADELPHIA — A suffocating final period carried the New York Knicks past the Philadelphia 76ers 108-94 on Friday night, giving New York a 3-0 advantage in their Eastern Conference semifinal.
The Knicks yielded just 18 points in the fourth quarter, mirroring the 12-point closing period they allowed in Game 2. One more victory would send New York to consecutive conference finals for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
Defense without Anunoby
With OG Anunoby sidelined by a right hamstring injury, Mikal Bridges took on the primary assignment against Tyrese Maxey. Bridges limited the Sixers’ top scorer to eight shot attempts through three quarters while contributing 20 points of his own. Head coach Mike Brown credited Bridges’ “multiple efforts” at the point of attack.
“You’re not going to stop Maxey,” Brown said. “You just hope he misses a few, and Mikal is busting his behind to make that happen.”
Rotations pay off
Brown turned to veteran guard Landry Shamet for extended minutes, and Shamet responded with 15 points while playing nearly the entire fourth quarter. New York also contained Paul George, who missed all nine of his shots after a hot opening frame, and held Philadelphia to 42 percent shooting overall and 28 percent from long range.
Embiid returns, Knicks answer
Joel Embiid, back after sitting out Game 2 with ankle and hip issues, managed 18 points but struggled when matched with center Mitchell Robinson. Maxey finished with 17 points and seven assists, while foul trouble limited Karl-Anthony Towns’ impact for New York.
Brunson closes it out
Jalen Brunson delivered 33 points—his second 30-plus outing of the series—including nine in the final 8:54 after Philadelphia trimmed the deficit to 88-84. “There are going to be times the ball isn’t falling,” Brunson said. “We have to control what we can, and that starts with our defense.”
Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, where the Knicks can secure the series and potentially give Anunoby extra time to recover.
Source: ESPN
