Jalen Brunson continues to impress for New York
Game 2 certainly wasn't the blowout that Game 1 was, but the New York Knicks still ended up with the victory over the Philadelphia 76ers all the same to take a 2-0 advantage in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The 76ers weren't prepared to take the 39-point blowout that was Game 1 lying down an came out of the gate much stronger in Wednesday's matchup. The 76ers took the lead early, outscoring the Knicks 33-31 and even though the Knicks cut that lead down by 1 after the second quarter, New York still went into halftime trailing by two.
The third quarter was an even matchup with both teams scoring 28 to keep the 76ers ' lead in tact, which left everything on the line in in the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter Comeback
That was where the Knicks thrived. Both teams went shot for shot to start the fourth quarter, but the Knicks finally gained some ground with six-and-a-half minutes left to go in the game, outscoring the 76ers 9-3 from that point on until the the end of the game to take Game 2 by a final score of 108-102.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anuboby were the heroes of the game, scoring 26 and 24 points respectively while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points of his own while adding 10 rebounds for another playoff double-double.
On Philadelphia's side, Tyrese Maxey matched Brunson with 26 points while Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. both scored 19 points and VJ Edgecombe scored 17.
The 76ers had an edge the entire game from three point range, shooting 38% from beyond the arc while the Knicks shot 27%. New York made up for this disparity with overall field goal efficiency, shooting 51% from the field to 45% by Philadelphia.
Turnovers Turn the Tide
The Knicks' handling of the ball also gave them an edge. They had 25 assists and 10 steals in the game and limited their turnovers to just 13 while the 76ers had 18 turnovers.
Those turnovers became costly for the 76ers as they translated into 23 points for the Knicks that judging by the end score, ver well could have decided the game.
Game 2 proved that the Knicks simply can't outshoot their opponents into submission every game, but it also revealed that the Knicks' defense and their attention with the ball can give them an edge even when the offense is evenly matched.
The Knicks now enter enemy territory in Philadelphia with a 2-0 advantage on their side but judging by Wednesday's give-and-take game, the 76ers aren't giving up yet.