The Knicks eliminated the 76ers with a game six victory. The two teams turned in an incredible series, but New York held on tight.
The New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115, winning game six and moving on to round two of the playoffs. The game was a nail-biter, decided by a clutch three from Josh Hart and series-clinching free throws.
The Knicks jumped out to a 22-point lead in the first quarter led by hot shooting from Donte DiVincenzo. But their offense collapsed in the second quarter, as Philadelphia came back to take a lead into halftime. The second half felt like a prize fight, with both teams trading blows all the way to the final bell.
The top players showed up, as Jalen Brunson and Joel Embiid scored 41 and 39 points, respectively. While New York finally slowed Tyrese Maxey down, Sixers veterans Buddy Hield and Nicolas Batum stepped up, combining for 36 points. But Brunson had the Nova connection, as Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart chipped in 39 points of their own.
Heroic efforts abound, so let’s get right into the player recaps and performance scores.
The Knicks’ starters play big minutes to close out
Jalen Brunson: 41 PTS (13/27 FG, 3/8 3PT, 12/16 FT), 12 AST, 3 REB, 2 TO in 44 mins
Jalen Brunson became the seventh player in NBA history to score 40 points in three consecutive games. He scored the first basket of the game and hit clutch shots throughout the fourth quarter. Even when Philadelphia stacked the defense against him, Brunson found ways to score.
Passing made the difference between Brunson closing strong this time and struggling to close game five. The Sixers began to blitz Brunson near half court, forcing him to rush a move or make a pass. New York’s star trusted his teammates, sending the ball to the weak side wing, where Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo made big plays all game.
Brunson just put together one of the best first-round performances of any Knick in history. He averaged 35, 9, and 4 over the six games, and that jumps to 41, 10, and 3 over the final four games of the series. He closed this series brilliantly and gets another 5 out of 5 for his tremendous effort.
Brunson finishing an and-one near the end of the game, and staring up at his Villanova Championship banners is one of the coldest moments of the year.
Donte DiVincenzo: 23 PTS (8/18 FG, 5/9 3PT, 2/2 FT), 7 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 1 TO in 48 mins
Donte DiVincenzo flew out the gate firing. He’d had a disappointing series following his game-winning shot in game two, but the Big Ragu would not be denied again. He knocked down three shots from three in the first quarter, helping New York to an early lead. While his offense cooled after that, he continued to make winning plays through smart passes and quality defense.
DiVincenzo spent more time guarding Tyrese Maxey in this game than I can recall in any prior matchup. Not only did he accept the assignment, but he gave one of the best efforts to stop Maxey, that we’ve seen all series. That didn’t stop his help defense either, as he picked off passes and punched a Joel Embiid layup into the cameraman section.
DiVincenzo’s shooting made a huge impact on this series. New York won every game when he hit multiple three-pointers, and they lost the two games where he made one or fewer. Ironically, his defense and playmaking were the biggest difference-makers in the clincher. DiVo gets a 4.5 out of 5 for stepping up.
Josh Hart: 16 PTS (5/11 FG, 3/5 3PT, 3/3 FT), 7 AST, 14 REB, 2 TO in 46 mins
Josh Hart completed his brilliant series the same way he started it: by hitting improbable three-pointers. The Sixers couldn’t leave DiVincenzo open and had to double Brunson, so they frequently left Hart alone. Hart responded with a pair of threes in the first half and the biggest shot of the game with 25 seconds left to go.
I’ll confess that Hart frustrated me at times. Between his three made jumpers, Hart passed up too many open looks. He drove instead, which led to some nice passes but also a few missed shots at the rim. He made up for those moments with an incredible effort on the glass.
While Brunson and DiVincenzo led in scoring, Hart’s work on the offensive glass made up for the times when they missed. He added jumpers of his own and plenty of playmaking in transition. The Villanova trio took over this game, and Hart proved crucial. He gets a 4.5 out of 5 for his clutch performance.
OG Anunoby: 19 PTS (8/17 FG, 2/5 3PT, 1/3 FT), 9 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 45 mins
We’ll remember this performance from OG Anunoby for his heroics in the second half. He hit both of his threes as the Knicks fought back from a ten-point deficit from the third quarter into the fourth. Then OG added the dunk of the series late in a tied game.
But Anunoby’s game started off shaky. I counted three times that he was blocked trying to get shots off inside. His first long attempts weren’t pretty, and he hit the floor as often as he finished field goals in the first half. That makes OG’s second-half bounce back even more impressive because it shows his resilience.
Anunoby closed this series out by defending Joel Embiid in a free-throw-focused unit. He started the series guarding Tyrese Maxey and finished defending Joel Embiid. He might be the only defender in the league capable of doing both. OG gets a 3.5 out of 5 for picking it up in the second half.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 14 PTS (7/13 FG), 2 AST, 9 REB, 2 BLK, 3 TO in 30 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein came up with big buckets in the second half, using his floater to keep pace with Embiid in the third quarter. But notice I said, “keep pace,” because Hartenstein couldn’t stop or even slow Embiid down. Embiid is simply too strong for Hartenstein, so the Philly star got to his spots and controlled the post against I-Hart.
But Hartenstein still played an important role for the Knicks. The offense opens up whenever Hartenstein is available at the top of the key or just outside the paint. It’s tough to win the turnover battle against New York when they have a big man who works his way into space as often as I-Hart.
I-Hart didn’t have the best series. Embiid proved too much offensively for Hartenstein to contain with any consistency. But Hartenstein scored double-digits in three games and made clutch baskets in even more. He gets a 2.5 out of 5 for his hard work.
New York’s second unit plays important defense
Miles McBride: 3 PTS (1/4 FG, 1/4 3PT) in 9 mins
Deuce McBride started the game ugly. He got three open shots from deep and clanked every one. He stepped onto the floor, and Philadelphia seemed to go on an instant run, which meant Tom Thibodeau utilized our pesky defender far less than in prior contests.
But McBride entered a tight game in the fourth and knocked down a three-pointer while the offense had begun to stagnate. He wouldn’t take another shot, but that jumper proved crucial and bought just enough time for Brunson to rest.
Mitchell Robinson: 2 PTS (1/3 FG), 9 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK in 18 mins
Mitchell Robinson threw down a go-ahead dunk in the fourth quarter. It felt like a reward after he turned in the best defense on Joel Embiid that we saw all game. Mitch spent the third quarter battling Embiid for position and giving the Philly star fits. That culminated with Robinson’s dunk at the opposite end.
Mitch looked hobbled, but moved better than he had in recent contests. He drew an offensive foul from Embiid, and proved immovable for Philly’s big man. We watched Joel do a “too small” gesture at Hartenstein, then get bullied by Mitch for the next five minutes. I cheered harder for Mitchell Robinson moving Embiid off his spots than I did for some of DiVo’s three-pointers.
I can’t say enough about the toughness that Mitch showed in this series. He started the series on a sketchy ankle, and a dirty play made that injury worse. But he persevered and turned in crucial defensive performances in multiple wins. Robinson gets a 3 out of 5 for his clutch defense.
Tom Thibodeau tightens the rotation even more
Tom Thibodeau finished this series with a seven-man rotation and four players playing 44 minutes or more. That’s not sustainable for a deep playoff run, but it might have been necessary to clinch against Philadelphia. The Knicks lost all momentum when Jalen Brunson briefly sat in the second quarter, and he wasn’t risking the same happening when things were close later.
Thibs didn’t take any chances by adding Precious or Burks to the rotation. I felt like Precious earned a look, but I understand the decision to avoid big changes. Thibodeau’s adjustments to slow down Maxey were more important than any changes he could make in substitution patterns.
I don’t think there’s a coach left in the East that can out-scheme Thibodeau. But we’ll find out soon.
Closing Thoughts:
If I had to describe my feelings after that victory, “Euphoria” is the word. I’m ecstatic we won, and I hate everything about the way Philly carried itself like Kendrick Lamar hates Drake.
I hate the way they cried to the refs in every loss. I can’t stand the hyper-focus on Embiid being banged up while he actively injured our best big defender and Julius Randle has been out. Owners buying tickets for fans is cool, but I hate that it only happened because New Yorkers embarrassed them.
This series brought back playoff intensity, from the ecstasy of winning to the rage that comes with a loss. I don’t think anything that happened last year or during 2013 even comes close. This was an incredible experience, and hopefully, it’s the start of a special run.
People say pressure makes diamonds, and the Knicks chose the toughest path possible. They didn’t duck the Sixers like some teams who finished behind them. It meant New York played in the most physical, and gritty series of the first round. But if New York can withstand punches from an MVP, they’re ready to face anyone.
The Pacers are next, and I expect a different kind of series. I’m hoping it’s easier than this last one! I’ll see you next time, Knicks fam!
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