Brunson, Knicks pull out win, go up 2-0 on 76ers
Key takeaways
- Playing without the injured Joel Embiid, the 76ers put up a far better fight than in the Knicks' 137-98 romp in Game 1.
- OG Anunoby added 24 points for New York, though he wasn't on the floor at the end.
- Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Knicks, whose Game 1 victory made them the first team to win three straight postseason games by at least 25 points.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
NEW YORK -- Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and helped New York seize control of a close game after a run of blowouts, leading the Knicks to a 108-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Playing without the injured Joel Embiid, the 76ers put up a far better fight than in the Knicks' 137-98 romp in Game 1. The game featured 25 lead changes -- the most in a playoff game in 11 years -- and 14 ties. Neither team led by more than seven points.
But those kinds of situations are made for Brunson, who made the tiebreaking basket with 5:06 remaining and added another jumper for a 103-99 advantage with 3:45 to play before Mikal Bridges' basket made it a six-point game.