By Fred Katz, Mike Vorkunov and David Aldridge
Jalen Brunson powered the New York Knicks to a 97-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday to extend their series lead to 3-1.
Brunson’s 47 points in the game set a new Knicks franchise record in the playoffs. He also added 10 assists and four rebounds in this high-intensity affair.
Here are the takeaways from today’s playoffs so far.
Knicks 97, 76ers 92.
Series: New York leads 3-1
Game 5: 7 p.m. ET Tuesday in New York
The Knicks defense makes the difference
The Knicks have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA since acquiring OG Anunoby just before the New Year. And yet, they never hit their peak until Sunday — particularly in the fourth quarter, when A formation made up of a few reservists stopped the Sixers.
After Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson spent most of the first three games manning reigning MVP Joel Embiid, the Knicks retooled their matchups. Robinson was injured. Hartenstein committed five fouls in the third quarter alone. Precious Achiuwa, their third-string center, had already guarded Embiid — and succeeded in doing so. Instead, they took another path.
Achiuwa defended a wing, usually Kelly Oubre Jr. Anunoby, New York’s most versatile defensive weapon, stuck with Embiid. The Sixers haven’t figured out the best way to combat him. Knicks defenders flew rotations, closing out on a multitude of Philadelphia shooters. On one play, with the shot clock winding down and with New York rotating, a play that should have led to an open 3, Josh Hart talked Kyle Lowry out of getting up for a jumper; then, as Lowry swung it toward Embiid, Achiuwa flew over him to smash the 3-point attempt into the stands.
Embiid did not make a basket in the final period. He made a free throw. Philadelphia scored just 16 points in the final 12 minutes.
For all the deserved talk of Brunson’s remarkable performance, New York won this game in the most personal way possible: with tough, physical defense that was enough to stifle the other team. — Fred Katz, Knicks writer
Rebounding woes continue for Sixers
The 76ers had the best player in this series. They received excellent performances from Tyrese Maxey, their other All-Star. And yet, they find themselves down 3-1 in this series and on the verge of another early elimination. The culprit in Game 4, as in all series, was their deficiencies on the boards. They just can’t rebound with the Knicks and it’s killing them.
New York once again had second chance after second chance, which not only gave them another chance to score, but shortened the game by keeping the ball away from the 76ers. They managed 15 offensive rebounds, almost twice as many as the 76ers (nine). While the 76ers had the biggest player on the court, the Knicks continued to throw bodies on the boards and come away with crucial second opportunities. This put the 76ers in a bind. Nick Nurse moved to zone in time during the second half of the fourth quarter and the 76ers struggled to rebound during that time, just like they did in the first game when Nurse went to zone at times for long periods. The Knicks pulled down seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. — Mike Vorkunov, NBA Editor-in-Chief
The 76ers were bludgeoned… baton — once again on the Knicks’ glass, and when they look back on their season, which is now almost over after the Knicks’ victory, they’re going to wonder how this happened, once again, in a must-win game. 4 at home. Philly couldn’t have been better prepared going into the fourth quarter, with the Knicks reduced to playing Achiuwa and Anunoby having to guard Embiid after Embiid committed most of the third quarter’s five fouls on Hartenstein, forcing him to stay on the bench for almost the entire match. the entire fourth period.
But the Knicks still dominated the fourth quarter, being as relentless as possible on the offensive glass. They grabbed a half-dozen offensive rebounds in the fourth, creating several second- and third-shooting opportunities. This led to a 21-8 advantage for the Knicks in second chance points, as well as a 44-32 advantage in points in the paint. Anunoby and Achiuwa — and, of course, Josh Hart — beat the bigger Sixers to the ball time and time again. Meanwhile, Anunoby and Achiuwa hounded Embiid, who had 26 points through three quarters, until he was irrelevant in the fourth quarter. He couldn’t put the ball cleanly on the block, and when he did, the Knicks’ double teams kept him from losing his good looks. He only scored one free throw in the final quarter.
And, once again, Buddy Hield, the 76ers’ big acquisition at the trade deadline, was a DNP-CD of Nick Nurse.
So, with Philly facing elimination in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the Sixers need to look in the mirror. They were crushed, at home, by the smaller and seemingly tougher Knicks. — David Aldridge, senior NBA columnist
Sunday program:
Monday program:
- Celtics in heat: 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT (Boston leads 2-1)
- Thunder over the pelicans: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV (Oklahoma City leads 3-0)
- Lakers at Nuggets: 10 p.m. ET, TNT (Denver leads 3-1)
Required reading
(Photo: Bill Streicher / USA Today)