The New York Knicks are 1-0 up in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The final score at Madison Square Garden on Monday night was 137-98. The margin tells most of the story.
Jalen Brunson scored 35 points. Twenty-seven of them came before half-time. By the break, the Knicks led 74-51 and the game was already heading one way. It never came back.
For New York, this was not just a win. It was the third consecutive postseason game in which they have beaten an opponent by at least 25 points, a first in NBA history.
Brunson Set the Tone
The Knicks’ lead player was locked in from the first period. Brunson hit 12 of his 18 shots, scored 27 points in the first half alone, and made the 76ers’ defence look disorganised at every level. He probed, drew contact, found open shooters and converted at a rate that left Philadelphia without answers.
The supporting cast matched him. OG Anunoby went 7-of-8 from the field for 18 points. Mikal Bridges scored 17 on 7-of-10 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns came off the bench, played 20 minutes and posted 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists on 7-of-11 shooting. Four Knicks players scored 17 or more points.
New York went 19-of-37 from three-point range, a 51.4% clip that kept the 76ers’ defence stretched across the floor. They also won the rebounds 39-28 and dominated the paint 58-32. There was no area of the game where Philadelphia had the advantage.
76ers Struggle to Find Their Level
Joel Embiid’s night did not reflect the form that carried Philadelphia past the Boston Celtics in the first round. He finished with 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting in 25 minutes. Paul George led the 76ers with 17. Tyrese Maxey scored 13. As a team, they could not find the defensive resistance or offensive consistency they showed against Boston.
The 76ers beat the Celtics in seven games as underdogs. That run required specific things to go right: Embiid at his best, Maxey asserting himself as a creator, and tight defensive execution. On Monday night in New York, none of those things happened.
What It Means for the Series
The series is 1-0 to the Knicks. Game 2 is on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden (tip-off 20:00 ET).
For the 76ers to compete in this series, they need Embiid back at first-round level, Maxey to function as a second playmaker, and their defence to at least slow Brunson in the halfcourt. A team that upset the Celtics has the capability. Monday night suggested they have not yet found the version of themselves that did it.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have now spent three postseason games making each opponent look overmatched. The question for the rest of this series is whether the 76ers can find a way to disrupt the rhythm before New York put this one away.
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