The New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 110-96. The Knicks’ depth fights off Philly’s comeback attempts.
The New York Knicks returned from the All-Star break with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers 110 to 96. The Knicks looked rejuvenated despite still missing three key players, a testament to the roster’s depth.
The Knicks got off to a fast start thanks to strong three-point shooting, and it only improved when Bojan Bogdanovic hit the floor red hot. They took a 20-point lead by halftime but slipped up in the third quarter.
Philadelphia’s offense exploded in the second half, closing the distance and turning a blowout into a more competitive affair. But the Sixers lost steam in the fourth, and Tom Thibodeau made a surprising shift to small-ball that paid dividends as New York closed the game out.
The Knicks looked great outside of their third-quarter stumble. That’s impressive, considering New York’s second and third-best players, Julius Randle and OG Anunoby, are out until March. They’re still missing Mitchell Robinson, and Isaiah Hartenstein played sparingly due to lingering Achilles issues.
The Knicks are almost healthy, and they already look great. Let’s see how they pieced together a dominant performance on the road.
The Knicks’ starters pick Jalen Brunson up
Jalen Brunson: 21 PTS (5/18 FG, 0/4 3PT, 11/11 FT), 12 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 7 TO in 39 mins
Nick Nurse was determined to slow Jalen Brunson down. He had Philadelphia blitz Brunson with double-teams early and often. When Brunson had room to breathe, he was met with an assortment of tall and physical defenders and scheme changes on the fly. All of this added up to one of Brunson’s worst games in terms of turnovers, but it also resulted in one of his best playmaking displays.
Brunson didn’t shoot the ball well, missing all of his threes and a bunch of bunnies to go with them. But his passing was loaded with dimes to every shooter and big man who shared the floor with him. He found Hart and DiVo for threes early, then did the same for Burks and Bojan when they checked in. The team’s offense rolled without Brunson scoring, and his gravity and passing were the reason.
Brunson didn’t have a great offensive game. He relied heavily on drawn fouls to get his points, and his turnovers dampened an otherwise fantastic passing performance. But it’s still a decent night, given the amount of focus he received from Philadelphia’s defense. Brunson gets a 2.5 out of 5 for making everyone else’s life easier.
Donte DiVincenzo: 16 PTS (6/15 FG, 4/11 3PT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO in 34 mins
Donte DiVincenzo didn’t find his flow early. Sure, he hit a couple of open looks, but he missed more shots in space than we’re accustomed to. Without the shot falling consistently, DiVincenzo rarely found opportunities to drive. But he came up with a couple of big three-pointers to close the door in the fourth quarter.
DiVo’s defensive contributions were strong, particularly as a help defender. The Big Ragu’s blocks came from sliding over to help the on-ball defender. His lone steal came from jumping the passing lane and led to one of only two two-point field goals for the starting SG.
DiVincenzo’s performance doesn’t live up to the torrid pace he set before a hamstring issue flared up. But if his three-pointers hit consistently sooner, the rest of the elements of his game were all present. DiVo gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a nice two-way game.
Josh Hart: 18 PTS (7/13 FG, 2/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 12 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 44 mins
Josh Hart’s confidence is rising. Hart made not one but two no-hesitation threes. He attacked space by getting all the way to the basket instead of pulling up to take long jumpers, which kept pressure moving North to South. It added an edge to Hart’s offense that we haven’t seen as often this season, but we’re seeing it more often lately.
A Josh Hart breakdown is never complete without marveling at his rebounding. This is his ninth game with double-digit rebounds in the ten games since his recent shift to the starting line-up. As usual, he turned some of those boards into coast-to-coast offense. He dunked on the break, but I appreciate his fast break passing even more than his finishing.
You might consider a third-quarter technical that Hart picked up a blemish, but I liked it. The Sixers were chugging along, and the refs gave Tyrese Maxey calls Brunson couldn’t dream of. After the T, the refs tightened the whistles at both ends, which slowed Philadelphia down and got the Knicks back into rhythm. So Hart gets a 3.5 out of 5 for his hard work and a pass for the technical.
Precious Achiuwa: 18 PTS (7/9 FG, 1/2 3PT, 3/7 FT), 2 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 37 mins
Precious Achiuwa is my player of the game. Achiuwa tormented the Sixers on the glass, finished everything near the rim, and flashed passing chemistry with Jericho Sims. He even knocked down a three-pointer near the elbow. Achiuwa’s scoring helped make up for Brunson and DiVo’s off-nights.
Precious’ versatility proved crucial. The Sixers play fast and small without Joel Embiid. That worked in the third quarter as Tyrese Maxey drove while everyone else spaced the floor. But New York could go small with Precious at the five in the fourth, and the additional mobility shut Philadelphia down.
The conversation around Achiuwa has gone from “Can he even catch the ball?” To “how do we keep him after this season” rapidly. He’s been the pleasant surprise of an injury-plagued February. Precious gets a 4 out of 5 for the double-double paired with some excellent defense.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 0 PTS (0/0 FG), 2 REB, 1 STL in 11 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein played, but that wasn’t the I-Hart we’re used to. He lumbered a bit and gave me a scare when he was slow to get up after a fall in the third quarter. Hartenstein is one of the Knicks’ most active players, but he didn’t offer much last night.
We’ll have to keep an eye on Hartenstein’s Achilles. He only played eleven minutes for the night, and I’m glad he got extra rest.
A scoring explosion propels New York’s second unit
Miles McBride: 4 PTS (2/4 FG, 0/2 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL in 16 mins
Miles McBride was quiet for most of three quarters. But Tom Thibodeau’s decision to go small allowed McBride to play to his strengths in the fourth. Deuce defended the lead ball handlers on nearly every play. He chased Tyrese Maxey around, then shut down a few Buddy Hield post-ups. Deuce created more turnovers than 2 steals on his statline conveys.
McBride’s going through an adjustment with the bench realignment. But he can have positive impacts with limited time and touches as long as he plays to his strengths. Deuce gets a 2.5 out of 5 for playing important defense to close things out.
Alec Burks: 7 PTS (2/5 FG, 2/4 3PT, 1/3 FT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 13 mins
Alex Burks started the game hot. He hit a pair of threes early, and it felt like he was poised to do damage. But as soon as Brunson sat, Burks’ impact diminished. He failed to get much going in the spots where he ran the offenses and eventually ceded most opportunities to the hot hand of Bojan Bogdanovic.
Burks’ defense has never been a strong point, but I’m still disappointed by his defensive play since returning to the Knicks. With so many help defenders and hustle guys around him, Burks’ ineffectiveness stands out. I suspect that’s why he played fewer minutes than anyone but the injured Hartenstein.
Burks gets a 2 out of 5 for hitting two shots but not doing much else in limited time.
Bojan Bogdanovic: 22 PTS (8/13 FG, 6/6 3PT, 0/2 FT), 2 REB, 3 STL in 24 mins
Bojan Bogdanovic went five for five from three in the first half. He hit a wide-open three almost as soon as he hit the floor and never looked back. Ironically, my favorite bucket for the scoring forward came on a post-up. He hit a turnaround jumper over Buddy Hield that reminded me of all the times he hit that same look over quality defense from our former prospect Quentin Grimes. But Bojan’s three-pointers stole the show.
Bogdanovic’s shooting turned a comfortable lead into a blowout. But didn’t only impress me with offense. Bogey’s defense is obviously limited, but his effort was obvious. He tracked players even if they initially beat him, which led to one of his steals. He also hedged well and took clever angles to stay in front of players who had momentum.
Yet, I’m still convinced this isn’t the best version of Bogdanovic. He spent most of the fourth quarter quiet, and teammates are still figuring out where and when to find him. Bogdanovic gets a 3.5 out of 5, but this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Jericho Sims: 4 PTS (1/2 FG, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 10 REB, 1 BLK in 18 mins
Jericho Sims played a big role in the success of the second unit. He flew around the floor for rebounds and played excellent defense when switching onto guards. His mobility worked with Precious Achiuwa’s to produce incredible results, as both could keep up with players half their size.
We didn’t see much offense from Sims, but there were impressive wrinkles to everything he did. He grabbed five offensive boards, including a colossal putback. If he didn’t go back up with the ball, Sims surveyed the floor and got teammates decent looks off the offensive rebound. He looked comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Sims didn’t get a real chance to repeat his first-half performance. The Knicks had an opportunity to go small, and McBride’s defense was more important than a second big man’s next to Precious. But that shouldn’t take away from an otherwise nice night for Jericho. Sims gets a 2 out of 5 for a great first half.
Tom Thibodeau plays small ball, and it works
Ladies and gentlemen, he finally did it. Tom Thibodeau blessed us with a small ball line-up, which somehow fit his identity like a glove. By playing McBride, Hart, and Precious, Thibs played small ball with one of the grittiest units he could create. That crew held Philadelphia to just 15 points in the fourth.
I won’t linger on the fact that Josh Hart played 44 minutes or Brunson and Achiuwa hedging close to 40 minutes of action as well. Everyone was fresh off a break, and New York needed a win. So, let’s focus on the discovery of an effective small-ball unit.
Closing Thoughts:
We’re back, and the home stretch feels like the road to full strength. I know fans are nervous after cryptic statements from Randle and Anunoby, but cautious comments about injuries are wise. I’m old enough to remember when Jeremy Lin was “85%” healthy but still couldn’t play.
The injured players have plenty of time to rest, rehabilitate, and recover. The trade deadline moves ensured that no one should rush back. The Knicks are formidable now, and their offense will shoot to another level when Randle returns. If OG’s back, an already tough defense becomes elite. Add Mitch to an elite defense, and you’re fishing with dynamite.
The Knicks are amidst one of the best seasons younger fans have ever witnessed. They’re reminding older fans like myself of the 90’s vibes. But the best is yet to come!
The Celtics are next, as part of a tough upcoming stretch of basketball. New York is depleted, but I still think they’ve got a shot to surprise. The Knicks with fresh legs are tough for anyone, and I’m excited for the games to come. I’ll see you next time, Knicks fam!
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