Knicks bounce back with dominant victory in Philly
In a much-needed rebound performance, the New York Knicks snapped their four-game losing streak with an impressive 110-96 victory over the Philadelphia Sixers. This win marks their first game after the All-Star break, and it certainly set the tone for the remainder of the season.
Leading the charge for the Knicks was the dynamic duo of Jalen Brunson and Bojan Bogdanovic. Brunson scored 21 points and dished-out 12 assists, orchestrating the offense with precision. Meanwhile, Bogdanovic provided a significant spark off the bench, pouring in 22 points to bolster the team’s scoring effort.
The Knicks wasted no time asserting their dominance, jumping out to an early 13-0 lead and maintaining control throughout the game. By halftime, they had built a commanding 69-43 advantage, their largest lead of the night.
Despite facing injuries to key players, the Knicks received a much-needed boost with the return of Isaiah Hartenstein and Donte DiVincenzo. However, Hartenstein’s playing time was limited due to Achilles concerns, but DiVincenzo made a solid impact with 16 points and 2 blocks.
“Everybody’s kind of feeling like we’re on pace to get everybody back. Feeling confident in everybody making progress and everything, for the home stretch and the push. It doesn’t feel like, you know, we’re down a lot of bodies anymore, even though we still have a few out. It doesn’t feel as depleted.”
– Donte DiVincenzo
Josh Hart and Precious Achiuwa also made significant contributions, each tallying 18 points and recording double-doubles with 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
The Sixers, in the absence of Joel Embiid were led by a stellar performance from Tyrese Maxey with 35 points and attempted to mount a comeback in the second half. They capitalized on the Knicks’ defensive lapses late in the third quarter, narrowing the deficit to 92-86 early in the fourth.
However, the Knicks responded emphatically, igniting a crucial 7-0 run to regain control and seal the victory.
Despite the formidable efforts of Maxey, Buddy Hield, and Kelly Oubre Jr., who each contributed 14 points for the Sixers, it was not enough to overcome the Knicks’ determined performance.
Adding to the excitement was Kyle Lowry’s debut off the bench for the Sixers, as he chipped in with 11 points in his first game with the team.
Up-next: Knicks (34-22) will host the Boston Celtics (44-12) on Saturday night from 8:30pm