The New York Knicks have started to show some fight, and they may finally have put that month-long slump behind them. On Saturday, New York grabbed arguably their most important win of the season so far, winning in a thriller on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109.
The game shifted in the Knicks’ favor in the third quarter
The first half was mostly a back-and-forth affair, with neither team grabbing a lead bigger than six, and New York trailing by four entering halftime. The energy shifted quickly in the third quarter, and it started with a big substitution.
Karl-Anthony Towns committed a pair of fouls in the first two minutes of the third quarter, forcing Mitchell Robinson to check in early. Immediately upon him entering, the Knicks riled off a huge rally, closing the quarter on a 25-9 run with Robinson on the floor.
New York pushed their lead to 17 in the fourth, but the 76ers never went away. They cut to deficit to just three with 30 seconds remaining, but New York made the right plays down the stretch to secure the win.
Free throws were a problem for them, as they were just 15-for-27 from the charity stripe. However, it was their defense that helped them, as they shut down the 76ers in the third quarter to give them a big enough cushion to win.
Jalen Brunson and company carried a big load
It wasn’t just Robinson who made the winning plays, as Jalen Brunson and his supporting cast showed up. It was the role players who became the unsung heroes in this game, with OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet making clutch plays in the fourth to propel the team to a win.
Brunson scored 31 points in the win, leading all Knicks scorers as he shot 11-for-24 from the field and 6-for-12 from three-point range. He was ominously quiet down the stretch after being a cog in their third quarter avalanche, as he didn’t score in the fourth.
However, Anunoby and Shamet saved the day, with Anunoby scoring six of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Anunoby also finished the game at the center position in an effort by head coach Mike Brown to avoid being in a hack-a-Mitch situation, and the plan worked in their favor despite the daunting task of guarding Joel Embiid.
Shamet was very clutch down the stretch, with seven of his 12 points coming in the fourth, including a dagger three-pointer that ultimately was the difference maker. Since returning from injury, the Knicks have felt his presence, as he is putting on a strong display of marksman shooting.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges continued an alarming trend
Despite the victory, the Knicks have problems with their two biggest acquisitions from the 2024 offseason. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns both struggled badly, and the team was not successful during their minutes, either.
Bridges shot just 3-for-16 from the field and finished with only nine points. His shooting has taken a massive hit of late and there hasn’t been many signs of him snapping out of that funk.
Towns, meanwhile, had another sloppy game with only 10 points as fouls haunted him yet again. He fouled out with still over five minutes remaining in the game, which forced Brown to use Ariel Hukporti in spurts in the fourth quarter to allow Robinson to get a rest.
Those two have not had the kind of season they were hoping to have, and with the trade deadline looming, questions will be asked about what their future looks like in New York.
Overview
The Knicks got a much-needed win on the road, and they can close the month on a high note and get their season back on track if they keep this level of intensity. They will head back home to get their revenge on the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.