New York (AFP) – Jalen Brunson starred again as the red-hot New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-94 Friday to move within one win of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. It was a sixth straight victory for the Knicks, who have not dropped a game since rallying from 2-1 down in their first-round playoff series with Atlanta.
Having nudged New York across the line in a tense game two, Brunson looked composed as he poured in 33 points and added nine assists. He was backed up by muscular defensive performances, including a combined 23 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, to put the Knicks up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. No team has ever come back from 3-0 down in a seven-game NBA series.
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Playing in front of a raucous home crowd for the first time this series, the Sixers came out with huge energy from tipoff. Philadelphia’s Paul George had 15 points in the first quarter alone, as his side led by 12 against a Knicks side missing the injured OG Anunoby. But the Knicks immediately fought back, tightening up defensively and making 33 points while shooting at 57 percent in a stellar second quarter, to lead at half-time.
Towns and a returning Joel Embiid were locked in a feisty physical duel, with each player committing three fouls before the break, in what resembled a wrestling bout at times. The Sixers briefly closed the gap back to two points late in the third quarter, before missing six straight shots, including a couple of bad airballs from VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes.
Powered by another late show by talisman Brunson, the Knicks pulled clear in the final quarter, and the Sixers lost hope. Remarkably, George did not add a single further point after his first-quarter blitz. The Knicks cemented their status as the bookmakers’ favorites to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
© 2024 AFP
