The New York Knicks didn't waste anytime getting an advantage in Game 1
The New York Knicks picked up right where they left from dominating the Atlanta Hawks with a 137-98 beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday.
Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with a 35 point performance in 12-18 shooting from the field while OG Anunoby followed with 18 points of his own.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges had 17 points apiece and the bench came through with an outstanding performance as well. New York’s bench combined for 42 points, with every Knick on the floor making at least one shot from the field.
The 76ers just finished upsetting the Boston Celtics on a seven-game opening series just a few days prior and their exhaustion showed on the court.
Brunson Takes Over
They had no answer for Brunson, who had free rein of the floor no matter where he was and the Knicks’ star earned himself eight opportunities from the charity stripe as well, where he sank every shot.
Maintaining the momentum they built up against the Hawks was going to be a key question for the Knicks and they certainly delivered.
Consistent physicality has long been the Knicks’ issue through the regular season and at least in Game 1, they maintained that effort. Towns and Anunoby set the defensive tone across the floor and the 76ers simply couldn’t keep up.
Lights-Out Efficiency
The most impressive thing about the Knicks’ blowout was their efficiency. They boot a staggering 63.1% from the field and over 50% from three point range.
When the entire team manages to get a shot to fall in a game, that’s how you know that the offense was clicking on a way that couldn’t be stopped.
The attempted 84 shots, which was still nine more attempts than Philadelphia had, but it’s still not a mind blowing level of volume. That’s why the Knicks’ efficient from the field was that much more impactful. In certain stretches it seems like New York simply could not miss.
The Knicks out scored the 76ers in all four quarters and especially broke away in the second, where they out scored the 76ers by 15 to enter halftime up 23 and dispelled any doubt that the way they took over Game 6 against the Hawks was a fluke.
New York is looking more like the team to beat in the Eastern half of the bracket by the day and with a performance like Monday’s, the Knicks aren’t just here to get by in the playoffs, they’re looking to win the whole thing.