Knicks grit out 125-119 OT win over Sixers

Jalen Brunson put on a show with 38 points, knocking down 14 of his 22 field goal attempts and scoring a crucial 16 of those points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined and Mikal Bridges contributed 23 points as the New York Knicks survived an OT thriller in Philadelphia, winning 125-119.

This one went to overtime after both teams played hard down the stretch, but the Knicks outscored the Sixers 16-10 in the extra period, thanks in large part to an 8-0 run that kicked things off. That stretch featured six consecutive points by Brunson, and once the Knicks took control, the Sixers just couldn’t climb back. The fourth quarter was knotted at 24-24, capping off a furious push by the Sixers after halftime, which made the game feel like it was destined for a photo finish.

Earlier, the Sixers faced a 16-point deficit early in the second quarter but stormed back with a 38-25 third-quarter outburst, highlighted by Tyrese Maxey and Paul George combining for 24 points after the break. That effort helped Philadelphia tie things up at 85-85 on a near-buzzer-beating three by Jeff Down Jr. with 0.1 left in the third. After that kind of comeback, it looked like momentum might swing completely in the Sixers’ favor, but the Knicks refused to give in.

A huge factor in the Knicks’ victory was the remarkable triple-double performance from Josh Hart, who tallied 10 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, and 4 steals—his 11th career triple-double and fifth of the season.

“Just find a way to impact the game. I think that’s the biggest thing for me. I’m not someone that gets plays called, I’m not needed to go out there and score 20, 25 points a game. So I’ve got to find ways to impact the game and my way is rebounding. I need to be better defensively. Just making some of those energy plays.”

– Josh Hart

OG Anunoby added 17 points as well, keeping the Knicks’ offense balanced. Off the bench, Miles McBride scored 13 points, Precious Achiuwa put up 10 points and 6 rebounds, and Cameron Payne chipped in with 6 points to round out the second unit’s contributions.

Both squads were missing their star big men: the Sixers were without Joel Embiid, and the Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns (sidelined by a sprained right thumb). That absence in the middle paved the way for the Knicks to dominate the rebounding battle, 45-35, and finally get more free throws than the Sixers, 24 to 14. They hit 17 of those attempts, while the Sixers went a perfect 14-of-14 at the stripe.

Up-next: The Knicks (27-14) will host the Timberwolves (21-19) on Friday night from 7:30 pm.