Even without a full lineup, the New York Knicks have demonstrated they are operating on a different level than the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Jalen Brunson and his teammates aim to complete a sweep of the best-of-seven series when they face the Sixers in Game 4 on Sunday. The No. 3 seed Knicks are vying for consecutive Eastern Conference finals appearances for the first time since 1999-2000. After being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in last year’s conference finals, New York is determined to overcome that disappointment despite currently missing one of its key contributors.
Versatile forward OG Anunoby sat out Game 3 with a hamstring injury and will be a game-time decision for Game 4. Without him, Brunson posted a team-high 33 points and nine assists in Friday’s 108-94 victory, while Mikal Bridges added 23 points.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Brunson said. “Obviously, we want everyone back healthy. But it was important for everyone to step up and have the right mindset — to do whatever you gotta do to win.”
Philadelphia, the No. 7 seed, upset the Boston Celtics in the first round but now appears to be running out of gas. The Sixers’ stars are logging heavy minutes, and the team has faltered in the fourth quarter during the last two games. In Game 3, Philadelphia managed just 18 points in the final quarter while shooting 35.0%. Two days earlier, they totaled 12 fourth-quarter points on 21.1% shooting in a 108-102 loss at New York.
Now the Sixers face the daunting task of becoming the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-0 series deficit.
“You add a game to it,” Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey said of the challenge. “We had to win three in a row (in the first round against Boston) and now we’re going to have to win four in a row. It’s still a great challenge. You’ve got to go do it. Either you don’t play with any pride and you get swept on your home floor in the second round of the playoffs, or you play with some pride and you win one game at a time.”
Philadelphia hopes Joel Embiid (ankle/hip) will be ready for Game 4. The center missed Game 2 but returned for Game 3, recording 18 points in 35 minutes. However, he managed only six rebounds as the Sixers were outrebounded 49-33.
“We know what he’s going through,” said Sixers wing Paul George, who scored 15 points in the first quarter but none afterward. “We know how tough it is on his body and the work he’s putting in to get prepared to try to come out and play. We appreciate it. I think the fans appreciate it, Philadelphia appreciates it. It means a lot to see 21 suited up and giving it a go.”
Regardless of whether Embiid or Anunoby plays, the Knicks will rely on their trademark intensity. That aggressiveness has brought them within one win of the conference finals.
“That’s just what our identity is,” said New York forward Josh Hart, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds in Game 3. “We continue to give something game after game and that’s energy. That’s what we strive to have, that energy, that physicality, that attention to detail and focus. We try to have that every game. We need to do that game after game after game.”
