The New York Knicks advanced by defeating the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, and can largely be thanked for another signature performance from Jalen Brunson.
The All-Star point guard led his team to a 118-115 victory in Game 6, ending a contentious series with a 41-point performance. It was Brunson's third consecutive game with 40 points or more and his fourth consecutive game with 37 points or more.No player has accomplished the latter in the playoffs since Michael Jordan. in 1993.
New York will play the Indiana Pacers, who defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Game 1 is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden (TNT).
In the first quarter, it looked like it would be a much easier task to pull away from the Sixers as the Knicks jumped out to a 22-point lead, but the Sixers fought back and took the lead at halftime. The Knicks then regained control with a nine-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers tied it again with 35 seconds left.
Cue Josh Hart:
Hart's clutch 3-pointer put the Knicks ahead, but Joel Embiid's ensuing basket still forced the Sixers to foul. From there, Donte DiVincenzo and Brunson made four more free throws to close out the game and end the series.
In summary, it was a very good game for Villanova.
It was a big game for Joel Embiid as well, scoring 39 points on 12-of-25 shooting, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 turnovers. He fouled out at the last moment.
If you told a Sixers fan that Embiid dropped 39 points and the entire bench combined for 42 points, they'd probably ask for Game 7 time. Unfortunately, they had too much work to do to get any more points back as Tobias Harris and Kyle Lowry were scoreless. The Knicks are a cohesive team.
With rotation member Bojan Bogdanovic out for the season with wrist and foot injuries, the Knicks relied heavily on their starters to get them across the goal line. Brunson, Hart, DiVincenzo and OG Anunoby all played at least 43 minutes, with DiVincenzo on the court the entire game. Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride were the only bench players who saw the floor and combined for five points.
That strategy may have stifled New York heading into Game 7, but it worked.
It was a fitting end to one of the most eventful series of the first round. The Knicks won Games 1 and 2, but only won the latter due to a frantic run in which the NBA admitted New York committed multiple fouls to force turnovers. The Sixers needed a 50-point performance from Embiid to avoid a 3-0 hole, and Brunson responded with a 47-point performance in Game 4. Tyrese Maxey then had a career night to prevent elimination.
It was a hostile and dramatic series, and the Knicks should be glad it's over.
