Hart, McBride, lift Knicks past Sixers to take Game 1

In a thrilling Game 1 showdown at Madison Square Garden the New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 111-104 in nail-biting game one victory.

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart emerged as the leading scorers for the Knicks, each contributing 22 points to the team’s triumph.

Entering the fourth quarter with a narrow deficit of 82-79, the Knicks were in need of a spark to ignite their comeback. That much-needed spark came from the reliable hands of Bojan Bogdanovic, whose clutch three-pointer knotted the game, breathing new life into the team and electrifying the crowd.

Hart found his rhythm in the fourth quarter, unleashing a scoring spree that propelled the Knicks towards victory. The former Wildcat notched 13 points in critical moments, including three pivotal three-pointers that helped maintaining the momentum. With just a minute remaining in the game, Hart drained a crucial three-pointer to extend the Knicks’ lead to 107-100, sending shockwaves through the arena and putting immense pressure on the Sixers.

As the Sixers gambled on fouling Mitchell Robinson to stop the clock and regain possession, Robinson calmly sank both free throws with 37 seconds left, effectively sealing the fate of the game and solidifying the Knicks’ hard-earned triumph.

The game took a dramatic turn when Joel Embiid, the Sixers’ star player, suffered an injury while attempting a dunk late in the second quarter. Despite the grimace of pain on his face, the resilient center returned to the court after halftime, inspiring the Sixers to keep going.

Embiid had dominated the early stages of the game, notching the first nine points and accumulating an impressive 18 points by halftime. However, his performance took a hit after the fall, as he struggled to find his rhythm from the field, managing to add just 11 more points to his tally, primarily from the free-throw line, where he went 2-11 from field goal attempts.

While Brunson struggled with his shooting, shooting 8-26 from the field, his backup, Deuce McBride, rose to the occasion with a stellar performance off the bench. McBride’s 21-point contribution, including five three-pointers, injected energy into the Knicks’ offense during critical junctures of the game, earning him chants of “Deeeuuuce” from the passionate Garden crowd.

Alongside Bogdanovic, McBride spearheaded an electrifying second-quarter surge that saw the Knicks outscore the Sixers 33-12, erasing an early deficit and seizing control of the game.

Tyrese Maxey emerged as the driving force for the Sixers, pouring in a game-high 33 points and assuming a pivotal role, particularly after Embiid’s injury. Maxey’s impressive performance included shooting 14-26 from the field, demonstrating his ability to sink jump shots over Robinson and navigate through the Knicks’ defense with ease.

Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry contributed 18 points, while Kelly Oubre Jr. added 10 to the Sixers’ scoreboard.

In contrast, the Knicks’ bench, comprising McBride, Bogdanovic, and Robinson, proved to be the decisive factor, outscoring the Sixers’ bench by a notable margin of 42-7. This trio played a crucial role in securing the victory for the Knicks.

“I’ve got to go back to the drawing board and be better. But I think the one thing I kept doing: I just kept turning the page, turning the page, knowing that things would be better. I have to have short-term memory when things like that happen. Honestly, you’ve just got to give them a lot of credit.”

– Jalen Brunson

However, Donte DiVincenzo struggled to find his rhythm, tallying just 8 points on a challenging 3-10 shooting performance. Additionally, OG Anunoby faced foul trouble early in the game but still managed to make a significant impact, logging 31 minutes and contributing 11 points. Anunoby’s clutch three-pointer with 1:28 left in the game further solidified the Knicks’ lead, putting them up 104-97 and ultimately contributing to their triumph.

Up-next: Game 2 of the First round comes on Monday from 7:30p.