The New York Knicks’ six-game win streak is over at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. On Friday, the second night of a back-to-back for the Knicks, they showed clear signs of fatigue as they were unable to overtake Philadelphia, losing by a score of 107-116.
The Knicks couldn’t slow down the Sixers at any point
Anytime the Knicks went on a run of sorts, the Sixers always had an answer. New York carried their largest lead of just six points all game, and they were unable to slow down Philadelphia’s backcourt of Tyrese Maxey (30 points, nine assists) and VJ Edgecombe (23 points).
Additionally, the Knicks’ top players were quiet for most of the night. Jalen Brunson was 7-for-22 from the field, and OG Anunoby had just two points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field all game.
It’s hard to win games when the offense isn’t clicking, and fatigue definitely began to settle in after a long week in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup.
Tyler Kolek couldn’t continue his hot stretch against the Sixers
After three amazing games for Tyler Kolek, he struggled badly against the Sixers and couldn’t replicate the same energy he brought off the bench in previous games.
Kolek had just two points and two assists in 15 minutes of action. Alarmingly, he turned the ball over four times and committed five personal fouls. It was an unusual night for Kolek, who usually excels at taking care of the basketball.
The hope is that the next game is a much cleaner one for Kolek, as they cannot afford to have him struggle with Miles McBride still out with an injury.
Mitchell Robinson had one of the best games of his career
The Knicks wasted a great performance from their longest tenured player, Mitchell Robinson, who put in one of the best performances of his entire career against the Sixers.
Robinson recorded a season-high 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. He also recorded two blocks and a steal while shooting 7-for-8 from the field.
Perhaps the biggest development was his free throw shooting. Robinson shot 7-for-8 from the charity stripe, easily his best performance of the season. Before tonight, he was just 8-for-33 from the line, shooting the worst mark in the NBA.
If Robinson can build off of this performance, then they have themselves a true weapon off the bench. His offensive rebounding prowess is already incredibly effective, but if he can add some offense to his arsenal, then he will become a truly valuable asset.
Overview
The Knicks had a quiet night at home and were unable to capitalize on the Sixers not having Joel Embiid. They’ll look to rest and regroup this weekend, with their next game being Sunday night at home against the Miami Heat.