The New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers to win game one 111-104. Philly may have taken their best shot, but New York gutted its way to victory.
The New York Knicks outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers, winning 111-104. The Knicks overcame Jalen Brunson’s tough shooting night and Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid’s combined 62 points.
New York started the night trailing; Joel Embiid scored nine points in the first few minutes of action. The Knicks barely mustered enough to keep the game from running out of control. But the situation changed as soon as the bench entered. Deuce McBride energized the offense with a great shooting display, and Mitchell Robinson defended Embiid better than any other Knick.
New York entered halftime with a slim, comfortable lead, and the cycle repeated. The Sixers sprinted out to reclaim the lead in the third quarter, only for New York’s bench to enter the game and completely flip the momentum. Late-game shooting heroics from unlikely players Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson helped seal the deal and take game one.
Let’s examine how the team started the series with a win despite Philadelphia’s best players giving their best shots.
The Knicks’ starters get a big game from Hart
Jalen Brunson: 22 PTS (8/26 FG, 1/6 3PT, 5/6 FT), 7 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL, 5 TO in 41 mins
Jalen Brunson struggled as badly as we’ve seen in weeks if not months. The Sixers did a great job of sticking to Brunson and recovering to disrupt his shots when he got a step on defenders. To make matters worse, Brunson’s jumpers rimmed out on most attempts. The Knicks’ MVP had to scrap for every point he produced.
To Brunson’s credit, he found other ways to help New York. His dimes included a beauty of a no-look pass to Deuce for three and some quick kicks to an open Josh Hart, but I’ll talk about that more later. New York’s star also chipped in on the glass, chasing down boards that slipped away from the battling bigs.
The Sixers defense was well-planned against Brunson, and Kelly Oubre stuck to him throughout. But Brunson still made clutch plays by trusting his teammates and drawing fouls. The Knicks will need him to be better to win this series, but I’m confident his worst performance is out of the way. Brunson gets a 1.5 out of 5, but I trust him to adjust.
Donte DiVincenzo: 8 PTS (3/10 FG, 2/5 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 24 mins
Speaking of uncharacteristically tough games, Donte DiVincenzo struggled. The Sixers chased him off the three-point line more often than not. DiVo has proven he can capitalize off the dribble throughout the season, but he missed several bunnies this time. He never got into a comfortable scoring rhythm.
That’s not to say the Big Ragu didn’t find ways to help. He knocked down a pair of timely threes to slow Philadelphia’s runs. His help defense stood out several times as he slid over to double Embiid or help on Maxey.
DiVincenzo’s minutes were trimmed due to Deuce McBride’s impact. DiVo may have gotten hot with extra time, but the Knicks needed Deuce’s defense on Maxey more than DiVincenzo’s jumper. DiVo gets a 1 out of 5 for his quiet night, but I expect a bounce back, just like with Brunson.
Josh Hart: 22 PTS (5/12 FG, 4/8 3PT, 8/10 FT), 2 AST, 13 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 42 mins
Josh Hart played an up-and-down game for three quarters. He grabbed boards and paced the Knicks’ transition attack as usual. But Hart’s defense wasn’t up to snuff, as he gave up a few blow-by drives and was uncharacteristically late on rotations.
But the most frustrating part of the Josh Hart experience was watching the Sixers cheat off him to close lanes for ball handlers. Hart must have been mad too, because he responded to that defensive scheme with three three-pointers in the fourth quarter, among a slew of game-clinching plays. Hart turned every kick out to the weak side into instant offense.
Hart has embodied the Knicks’ gritty personality for months now. He did the same in this victory, overcoming early woes to make a huge contribution. Hart gets a 3.5 out of 5 for his double-double.
OG Anunoby: 11 PTS (5/10 FG, 1/3 3PT), 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 31 mins
OG Anunoby played well but hit some tough spots. At times, OG struggled to keep up with the speedy Tyrese Maxey through screens. Anunoby needed more hedge help than usual, but that makes sense against Maxey’s quickness. The former Raptor’s defense shined in switches and help defense. He more than made up for any lapses through quick doubles or cleverly switching to defend a new ball-handler from guards to star-center.
OG’s offense came from off-ball cuts and quick attacks from the weak side. He hit his lone three-pointer late in the game. But the rest of his work came in the paint after defenders leaned too far into the strong side.
Anunoby didn’t play his best game, but he provided help in nearly every area of the game. His defensive matchup with Maxey isn’t my favorite. But OG remains an impact player and snags a 2 out of 5 for a commendable effort.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 6 PTS (1/4 FG, 4/4 FT), 3 AST, 7 REB, 2 BLK in 18 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein joins the rest of the starters in playing decent ball but with clear struggles in some areas of the game. I-Hart had trouble containing Joel Embiid, which is fair enough against a perennial MVP candidate. But Hartenstein missed his floaters and shots in close to the basket, which is rare.
Of course, Hartenstein’s performance wasn’t all bad. His passing picked up the offense during a few lulls. Go back to the Brunson section, and you’ll see a clip of Hartenstein’s best pass of the game. The big man made defensive stands at the rim, blocking would-be dunkers.
Hartenstein’s minutes were trimmed down for a similar reason to DiVincenzo’s. Mitchell Robinson’s defense was too good for Big Hart to play more. But Hartenstein made his contributions in the shorter time he received, enough for a 2 out of 5.
New York’s second unit makes a massive contribution
Miles McBride: 21 PTS (7/12 FG, 5/7 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL in 28 mins
The Knicks seemed tight to start the game. They struggled to create and make good shots and couldn’t contain the Sixers’ offense. Then Miles McBride stepped onto the court and quickly hit a three. He got what felt like the first stop on Tyrese Maxey next and proceeded to make two more threes shortly after. Deuce invigorated the team.
The Knicks owned the minutes when Brunson sat because Deuce went on the attack. He did most of his damage from three but also scored inside on a fast break and a great move in a tied fourth quarter. But more importantly, McBride’s defense on Maxey was a revelation. The Sixers’ star guard still found ways to score, but Deuce slowed him down in a major way.
After the game, Rebecca Haarlow asked Jalen Brunson what it took for New York to win. Brunson responded, “Deuce McBride.” It’s a great answer! McBride changed the game’s momentum in both halves and made big plays at both ends. He gets a 4.5 out of 5 for his gem of a performance.
Bojan Bogdanovic: 13 PTS (4/12 FG, 3/6 3PT, 2/4 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB in 25 mins
The second unit’s offense wouldn’t work if Deuce McBride were the only player scoring. Bojan Bogdanovic provided McBride’s help off the bench. Bogey shot the ball confidently, knocking down threes as fast as teammates could find him on the perimeter. The few times Bojan saw smaller players on the switch, he punished them in the post and drew fouls or shot over them.
But Bojan’s contributions didn’t stop at scoring. His effort to get after loose balls and rebounds was as good as we’ve seen all season. The playoff atmosphere seemed invigorating for the former Piston.
Bogdanovic gives New York an extra weapon. He spaced the floor for every unit he joined, and played as hard as we’ve seen all season. He can be an X-Factor when starting shooters run cold. Bogey gets a 3 out of 5 for stepping up in the big game.
Mitchell Robinson: 8 PTS (3/5 FG, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 12 REB, 1 STL, 4 BLK, 1 TO in 30 mins
Mitchell Robinson reminded me of his first-round series against the Cavs last year. He proved strong enough to force Joel Embiid to fight for every point, and to dominate the glass. Mitch grabbed more offensive rebounds than the entire starting unit for Philadelphia. He bullied his way to position for boards and gave New York second chances all game.
But Robinson’s defense shined more than anything else. He flew around the paint to block would-be drivers and contained Embiid at every turn. Embiid still earned free throws and made plays, but Mitch had Joel fighting for every step. Embiid went 2/11 in the second half and had to take jumpers on tired legs for most of his looks.
The 76ers applied the hack-a-Mitch tactic in the fourth quarter. But Mitch hit both his free throws and forced Philly to change their strategy. It’s a perfect cap to a tremendous performance from the Block Ness Monster. Mitch gets a 4 out of 5 for his defense on the former MVP.
Tom Thibodeau trusts his bench to get the win
I remember complaining about Tom Thibodeau’s rigid adherence to his rotations once upon a time. Players would stay on the floor too long during cold streaks or have their hot streaks cut short by substitutions. Fast-forward to today and Tom Thibodeau just let three players off the bench play for 25 minutes or more.
Thibodeau just won a game with his star struggling, the opposing stars thriving, and his entire starting lineup posting negative +/-s. Thibs has evolved, and he continues to be a positive difference-maker in this team’s success.
Closing Thoughts:
Game one is in the books, and it was exhilarating. Everywhere I went in the city yesterday, I saw Knicks gear. The chants at the Garden were echoing out of bars all over NYC. The vibes were immaculate, and the Knicks did not disappoint.
There’s a lot for the orange and blue to improve on. I expect Thibodeau to adjust to address Philadelphia’s stars, and I doubt Brunson or DiVincenzo can be contained for much longer. But the Knicks gritted their way to a series lead.
I watched the Magic do a bad Knicks impersonation in losing to the Cavs earlier in the day. Comparing those two games made me appreciate that New York has a quality that can’t be faked. This franchise carries a toughness from the players to the fans that can go a long way when the lights are brightest.
Game two is on Monday, and I can’t wait to see the coaches’ first set of adjustments. I’ll see you after the next one, Knicks fam!
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