Brunson takes over late as Knicks edge Sixers 110-105

It wasn’t pretty, but it was gutsy. The New York Knicks looked like they were cruising early, only to find themselves in a battle down the stretch.  Jalen Brunson delivered when it mattered most, scoring 10 points in the final 2:30 as the Knicks pulled off a hard-fought 110-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers after nearly letting a 19-point lead slip away.

Brunson finished with 34 points, and Mikal Bridges added 28, but it was Brunson’s clutch play in crunch time that sealed the deal. With the Knicks trailing 102-98 late in the fourth after blowing their early lead, Brunson took over. He calmly went 4-for-5 from the free-throw line and drained a massive three-pointer that circled the rim before dropping in with 1:28 remaining, giving the Knicks a 105-102 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Sixers made a furious comeback in the second half, led by Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, who nearly turned the game on its head. Maxey erupted for 22 of his 30 points after halftime, while George added 17 of his 25 in the second half as well.

After being down by double digits early in the fourth, the Sixers surged ahead before Brunson and the Knicks responded to regain control.

New York was without Karl-Anthony Towns, who sat out with a sore knee, which led to Ariel Hukporti making his first career start. Unfortunately, his night was cut short after just 16 minutes of playtime when he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. Hukporti finished with 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block before exiting, and ESPN later reported that he is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Despite their struggles holding onto the lead, the Knicks dominated key areas, outrebounding the Sixers 43-35 and outscoring them 50-42 in the paint.

The Knicks’ victory over the Sixers was a much-needed response after suffering back-to-back blowout losses to the Eastern Conference’s top teams, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the win helped steady things after a rough stretch, it didn’t fully erase the concerns surrounding New York’s ability to compete with the league’s best. Despite being considered contenders, the Knicks have struggled mightily against the NBA’s elite, now holding an 0-7 record against top-tier teams.

In addition to their defeats against Boston and Cleveland, they’ve also lost both matchups against the Oklahoma City Thunder, raising questions about whether they can truly go toe-to-toe with the league’s best when it matters most.