Brunson Leads Knicks Past 76ers for 2-0 Semifinal Edge
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NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and guided the New York Knicks through 25 lead changes on Wednesday night, securing a 108-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers and a 2-0 advantage in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Playing without injured center Joel Embiid, Philadelphia kept the contest tight after a 39-point loss in Game 1. The teams were never separated by more than seven points and were tied 14 times before New York pulled away in the final minutes at Madison Square Garden.
Brunson broke a 96-all deadlock with a layup at 5:06 remaining and added a mid-range jumper for a 103-99 cushion with 3:45 to play. “It’s about staying poised, one play at a time,” the guard said afterward.
OG Anunoby added 24 points for the Knicks but exited late and did not return. Head coach Mike Brown had no update on the forward’s condition. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Mikal Bridges supplied 18 points and key second-half defense on Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey rebounded from a 13-point opener to finish with 26 for Philadelphia, including 19 in the first half. Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 apiece, and rookie VJ Edgecombe had 17. The 76ers’ final lead came at 99-96 after an Oubre three-pointer before Josh Hart, moments after hurting his left wrist, answered with a three that swung momentum back to New York.
Embiid was ruled out earlier in the day with right hip and ankle soreness. The reigning MVP also missed time last month following an appendectomy. Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse noted that the club generated “four wide-open shots in a row that didn’t go” during the closing stretch.
The 25 lead changes were the most in an NBA playoff game since the Spurs and Clippers combined for 31 on May 2, 2015.
The series shifts to Wells Fargo Center for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. Embiid said he hopes to see a partisan home crowd, but Knicks supporters have traveled well throughout the postseason.
Source: ESPN
