Knicks Come Through in Game One Against the Sixers
The New York Knicks clinched the second seed during the 2024 NBA regular season and faced the Philadelphia 76ers who clinched the seventh seed over their Play-In victory over the Miami Heat. New York held on after Philadelphia outscored the Knicks by 15 points in the third quarter. For a 76ers team that said the Knicks were the easier team to play instead of the Celtics, they were surely doubtful of New York’s ability to hold on until the final minutes in this 111-104 Game One win. The Knicks will have to prove their worth every step of the way, especially in this series with 76ers star Joel Embiid looking to prove he can take his team deep into the playoffs.
Philly started off strong, making their presence known in Madison Square Garden. They would grab a nine-point lead after 12 minutes of action. New York dealt with some shooting woes in the first, going 32 percent from the field, and 33 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Knicks would step their play into overdrive in the second quarter. The Knicks outscored the Sixers 33-12 to take a 12-point lead heading into halftime. Philadelphia went five for 22 from the floor, and one for eight in that second quarter of action. Embiid led all scorers with 18 points. During that second quarter, the 2023 NBA MVP, went into the locker room after a harsh landing when he made an emphatic dunk that put the 76ers down by three with less than three minutes remaining. Miles McBride led the Knicks with 16 points in 13 minutes off the bench, going four for five from downtown.
The Sixers outscored the Knicks 36-21 during the third quarter. Philadelphia retook the lead with a little under four minutes remaining in the quarter. They would go back and forth with New York but ultimately took a three-point lead heading into the fourth. These two teams continued to battle it out in the fourth quarter, with neither team gaining an advantage. New York held a six-point lead after Josh Hart banged in a three. After Embiid knocked down two free throws, OG Anunoby fired in a three-pointer. Kyle Lowry would hit a pull-up jumper to cut the Sixers deficit to four. Hart nailed another three to extend New York’s lead. Both Tyrese Maxey and Mitchell Robinson would hit both of their free throws with the Knicks still leading by seven. Maxey quickly made a layup, but after Hart hit both of his free-throw attempts with three seconds on the clock, the Knicks would walk away with the 111-104 win. What was big for New York was their rebounding, as they pulled down 55 rebounds compared to the Sixers 33. The Knicks were also much more proficient from three-point range shooting 46 percent to the 76ers 34 percent.
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 33 points, while also recording two rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Joel Embiid scored 29 points on eight of 22 shooting from the floor. Embiid also had eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals in the loss. Both Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 22 points apiece. Hart had a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Brunson went eight for 26 from the floor and had seven rebounds, seven assists, and a steal in the Knicks big-time win.
