The New York Knicks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 97-92 in game four. Jalen Brunson’s historic night fuels the Knicks to a gutsy win, just one away from the second round.
The New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead in their series against the Philadelphia 76ers, winning game four 97-92. Both teams clamped down on defense, but Jalen Brunson was unstoppable. The star guard set the Knicks’ record for points in a playoff game.
For most of the action, Joel Embiid kept up with Brunson. The Sixers’ star hit big shots or drew fouls to muck up any momentum New York picked up. But that changed when OG Anunoby took on the defensive assignment. Anunoby and an increase in switching and rotation by the rest of the defenders finally cooled Embiid off.
Brunson carried the scoring offense, but his teammates stepped up in other areas and key moments. Let’s look at each performance and see how New York put the Sixers on the ropes.
The Knicks’ starters get an MVP performance to lead the way
Jalen Brunson: 47 PTS (18/34 FG, 2/8 3PT, 9/11 FT), 10 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 44 mins
Jalen Brunson put together one of the greatest playoff performances in Knicks’ history. Brunson responded whenever the Sixers threatened to run away with a lead. He started the game by taking pull-up jumpers through screens, capitalizing on Embiid’s drop coverage. But the Burner eventually shifted to driving and finishing inside.
Brunson didn’t only score nearly half of the Knicks’ total points. He added ten assists for the double-double, finding Hartenstein for floaters early and three-point shooters once he began driving deeper into the defense. However, Brunson focused more on scoring once Embiid took a cheap shot at him in the third quarter.
Brunson put together a historic night, scoring or assisting on 70 of New York’s 97 points. He shot over 50% from the field and only turned the ball over once while doing so. It’s easily one of the greatest performances in New York Knicks history. Brunson gets a 5 out of 5 for going in the record books.
Donte DiVincenzo: 8 PTS (3/11 FG, 2/7 3PT), 2 REB in 28 mins
Donte DiVincenzo had a rough game. Philadelphia chased him off the line again, though he finally started to force his way to looks as the game wore on. The Big Ragu finally found daylight in the third quarter and knocked down a pair of big three-pointers. But his offense labored other than that moment.
DiVincenzo struggled to produce anywhere else. But his defense had its moments. He occasionally switched on Tyrese Maxey, giving the speedy guard a different look. It didn’t happen often, but it was nice to see him pressure Maxey.
DiVo had a rough game and sat late because Thibodeau went with McBride for defense. But DiVincenzo started to shake loose in the third, so hopefully, he’ll find a rhythm soon. Donte gets a 1 out of 5 for his quiet game.
Josh Hart: 4 PTS (0/7 FG, 0/4 3PT, 4/8 FT), 5 AST, 17 REB, 3 BLK, 5 TO in 46 mins
Josh Hart never made a field goal but still managed an outsized positive impact. He rebounded with even more intensity than normal, leading both teams in all rebounding categories. Then, he made a pair of beautiful, momentum-grabbing blocks at the rim in the fourth quarter.
Hart’s played fantastic defense all night. He dealt with Tyrese Maxey more often than in previous match-ups. The Knicks’ energizer seamlessly moved on to covering Nicolas Batum and Kelly Oubre for chunks of time. His rotations and help defense were just as effective as his on-ball work.
Hart’s performance was far from perfect. He missed all his shots, including some bunnies. He turned the ball over while trying to carve through the defense and picked up foul trouble. But none of that takes away from his work as the pulse of the team. Josh Hart gets a 3 out of 5 for his hustle.
OG Anunoby: 16 PTS (8/16 FG, 0/4 3PT), 14 REB, 3 BLK, 1 TO in 47 mins
OG Anunoby stepped up big time. He looked like a menace whenever he got the ball with a step toward the basket. The former Raptor dunked on the Sixers repeatedly, powering through everyone regardless of their size. OG also hit pull-up jumpers when Embiid dropped too far to help on screens, something we saw both Brunson and Anunoby capitalize on.
Anunoby’s rebounding and defense were phenomenal. On multiple occasions, he flew in to take away potential offensive boards from Philly’s big men. The Knicks could afford to go small in the fourth because OG and Josh Hart rebounded like centers.
But OG’s fourth-quarter defense was even more important than his scoring or rebounding. Anunoby locked Joel Embiid up for the final quarter of this game, taking away the one sure thing that Philadelphia has had since game one. Anunoby’s ball denial was fantastic, and he avoided fouling while forcing Embiid off his comfortable places to attack.
OG gets a 4.5 out of 5 for playing crucial defense and getting big buckets.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 8 PTS (4/6 FG, 0/2 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 28 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein’s night is a mixed bag of good offense and presence but sloppy turnovers and fouls. Hartenstein started the night by finding open spaces for passers and knocking down floaters. He scored whenever Embiid cheated too far away to recover. But I-Hart also tried to sneak some bounce passes through the middle of the floor, which were intercepted.
Defensively, Hartenstein stood his ground against Embiid. He rarely gave the Sixers’ giant space to catch and shoot comfortably. But that meant I-Hart was close enough to pick up multiple fouls due to poor hand placement. If Hartenstein slipped up for a moment, Embiid capitalized and earned free throws.
Hartenstein picked up his fifth foul in the third quarter. He sat, and OG Anunoby took over the defense on Embiid. A small-ball unit locked up the Sixers, so Hartenstein’s night ended early. But I-Hart did enough to earn a 2.5 out of 5, and it can get higher if he cuts out the bad fouls.
New York’s second unit gets injured but finds a defensive combination
Miles McBride: 13 PTS (4/7 FG, 3/5 3PT, 2/3 FT), 4 REB, 1 TO in 27 mins
Miles McBride provided reliable offense throughout his time on the floor. As usual, he knocked down his threes and threw in a nice pull-up jumper in the few minutes that Jalen Brunson sat. You couldn’t ask for a more efficient night from Deuce, scoring 13 points on just seven attempts from the field.
Deuce also played fantastic defense. His ability to slow down Maxey freed up OG to cover Embiid in the fourth-quarter small-ball lineup. McBride’s length made him an effective switch-defender, as that line frequently switched and rotated to cover for each other.
McBride scored the third-most points on the team, played a crucial defensive role, and even tacked on some timely rebounds. He gets a 3.5 out of 5 for a strong night.
Bojan Bogdanovic: 0 PTS (0/0 FG) in 1 mins
Bojan Bogdanovic barely entered the game when he injured his ankle chasing a loose ball. Nicolas Batum dove for the ball and landed on Bogey’s ankle.
Precious Achiuwa: 1 PTS (0/5 FG, 1/2 FT), 2 AST, 7 REB, 4 BLK, 1 TO in 20 mins
Precious Achiuwa deserves a game ball for his defense. Achiuwa didn’t make a single field goal and missed one of the two free throws he earned, but his defense and rebounding meant none of the offensive woes mattered.
Achiuwa covered Kelly Oubre for most of the fourth quarter but constantly switched and made rotations to help others. He blocked Joel Embiid’s three-point attempt and denied multiple attempts from Oubre at the rim. While OG deserves the most credit for defending Embiid, Precious’ switches were also important.
Precious gets a 3 out of 5 for helping Thibodeau unlock a defensive scheme that shut Embiid down.
Tom Thibodeau is coaching the best series of his life
I’ve already called this Tom Thibodeau’s best coaching season of his career. But add that he’s coaching the best playoff series of his career. Thibodeau has made adjustments, survived injuries, and gotten his team past early struggles from his star player.
Thibodeau has been one step ahead of Nick Nurse at nearly every turn. I don’t think there’s a better coach in the East except for Erick Spoelstra.
Closing Thoughts:
That’s how a team responds to their first loss of the playoffs. Philadelphia finally found reason to be confident, and the Knicks nipped it in the bud. Not only did the team respond, but the fanbase showed up en masse as well.
I’m not sure you’ll ever see fans take over an opposing team’s arena in the playoffs quite like New York just did. Charles Barkley complained about it in game three, and Joel Embiid all but called out the fans after game four. So, Jalen Brunson’s historic performance played out in front of Knicks’ fans despite being on the road.
This season continues to provide special, memorable moments for the franchise that has struggled more than its one in recent years. Let’s take it all in and enjoy the ride, because seasons like this don’t come around often.
The close out game is Tuesday, and I feel good about New York’s chances. Hopefully they win and earn some extra time to rest for the players. I’ll see you next time, Knicks’ fam!
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