Knicks-Sixers: 5 takeaways from gritty Sport 1 – NBA.com

New York's bench offers an infinite edge in each scoring and rebounding within the sequence opener.
John Schuhmann
Mitchell Robinson was a key purpose why New York dominated the glass and bench manufacturing.
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NEW YORK — Sport 1 of the first round series between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers was a curler coaster experience, with each groups erasing deficits of at least 13 points. Ultimately, it was the Knicks that got here out on high, bettering to 20-2 (12-0 at house) in video games through which they’ve had each Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby.
Listed here are some notes, numbers and movie from New York’s 111-104 victory at Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday.
1. Embiid throws down, goes down and comes again
The massive query of the sequence shortly went from “how effectively will Joel Embiid play” to “how a lot will he play.”
Embiid had the spotlight of the night time late within the second quarter when he tossed the ball off the backboard to himself, grabbed it with one hand and threw down a dunk over OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. However Embiid then landed on his left leg, spun round, grabbed his left knee and fell to the floor.
The left knee, after all, is identical one which required meniscus surgical procedure in February, inflicting Embiid to overlook 29 straight video games. He went to the locker room with 2:37 left within the half and issues appeared fairly bleak for the Sixers, who trailed by 12 on the break to the one undefeated staff (28-0) in video games it led by no less than 5 factors at halftime.
After which Embiid emerged from the locker room shortly earlier than the third quarter started. After Philly missed a shot on its first possession of the second half, it proceeded to attain 32 factors on its subsequent 15 journeys down the ground, turning a 14-point deficit into six-point lead.
Embiid additionally offered the spotlight of that run, an absolute dime to Kelly Oubre Jr. on the break.

Alas, whereas the Sixers received the primary and third quarters by a complete of 24 factors (70-46), they misplaced the second and fourth by a complete of 31 (65-34).
Embiid’s 36:33 of taking part in time was rather less than he logged within the Sixers’ Play-In victory on Wednesday, however nonetheless his second-highest whole within the seven video games he’s performed since coming back from damage.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse didn’t have a postame replace on Embiid, who selected to not communicate with the media after the sport.
2. Knicks’ new bench comes up large
The Knicks’ midseason commerce for Anunoby offered an improve to their beginning lineup, however the departure of Immanuel Quickley was a success to what was the league’s sixth-ranked bench on the time of the commerce. Josh Hart shifting into the beginning lineup rather than the injured Julius Randle on Jan. 29 was one other hit.
From that time on, the Knicks’ bench ranked 19th and the staff was outscored by 11.6 points per 100 possessions with Jalen Brunson off the ground. They traded for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks on the deadline, and their minutes weren’t good.
However the Knicks’ bench was big in Sport 1. The beginning lineup was outscored by 18 points in rather less than 16 minutes on Saturday, however New York outscored Philly by 25 in just a little greater than 32 minutes with no less than one reserve on the ground.
Solely three reserves performed, however all of them performed large. Miles McBride scored 21 factors in 28 minutes, taking pictures 5-for-7 from 3-point vary. He closed the sport as an alternative of Donte DiVincenzo and made a big pull-up 3 to place the Knicks up 5 with 7:37 left.
“It’s not simply the shot-making,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned about McBride’s efficiency. “But it surely’s the vitality. It’s the protection. It’s the hustle. That goes a great distance.”
Like McBride, Robinson performed the complete fourth quarter. He completed with 12 rebounds (seven offensive) and 4 blocks in half-hour, simply essentially the most he’s performed in 11 video games since coming back from an prolonged absence. He grabbed a giant offensive rebound and tipped in his own miss to place the Knicks up 4 with 4:25 left.
Bogdanovic had 13 factors and 7 boards in lower than 25 minutes, together with his greatest moments (two 3-pointers) coming when the Knicks started the second quarter on an 11-2 run with Brunson off the ground.
3. Knicks dominate the glass once more
Final season, the Knicks ranked second in offensive rebounding proportion after which destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers on the glass of their first spherical sequence. This season, they led the league in offensive rebound proportion, they usually destroyed the Sixers on the glass in Sport 1.
Philly grabbed 24 defensive rebounds. New York grabbed 23 offensive rebounds. Whenever you rely rebounds that went out of bounds and loose-ball fouls, the Knicks had an offensive rebounding percentage of 51.8%, the second-highest mark for any staff in a sport this season.
Led by Robinson, 4 Knicks (together with the 6-foot-4 Hart) had no less than 4 offensive boards. Anunoby had only one, but it surely was a very vicious one which resulted in a bucket for Brunson:

“We prioritize [offensive rebounds],” Thibodeau mentioned. “The nights through which we’re not taking pictures effectively, they provide us an opportunity.”
The Sixers had the higher half-court offense on Saturday, but it surely was 27-11 Knicks on quick break factors and 26-8 on second probability factors, with these 26 second probability factors being essentially the most the Sixers have allowed this season.
4. Teammates reward Brunson for making the suitable performs
Brunson didn’t have his greatest taking pictures sport. The Sixers defended him with measurement (Oubre and Nicolas Batum had been his major defenders) and confirmed him additional our bodies when he drove. The All-NBA candidate completed with 22 factors on 8-for-26 taking pictures, additionally committing 5 turnovers.
However Brunson made the suitable performs late. With the Knicks up three and simply two minutes left, the Sixers’ janky zone was shaded his manner, with Tyrese Maxey on the ball and Oubre past the nail. Brunson didn’t drive issues and as an alternative swung the ball to Hart, who drained an enormous 3 to double the lead:

The lead was again all the way down to 4 on the following possession when Brunson was doubled on the suitable aspect of the ground. He then fired a skip go to the left wing, the place Anunoby drained one other 3:

Whereas Brunson shot 1-for-6 from 3-point vary, his teammates had been 15-for-29 (52%). It’s a make-or-miss league and the Knicks at the moment are 38-6 (third greatest) once they’ve outscored their opponent from past the arc.
5. Embiid settles an excessive amount of
Embiid had a few robust put up ups in Sport 1, in addition to a few good reactions when the Knicks despatched a double-team. However too usually, his catches had been 25 toes from the basket. And too usually, he settled for lengthy jumpers as an alternative of making an attempt to get inside:

Embiid was 11-for-12 from the free throw line, however simply 8-for-22 from the sector, together with 4-for-16 from exterior the restricted space.
His presence alone means lots. But when Embiid isn’t more practical going ahead, the Sixers are in bother.
Sport 2 is Monday (7:30 ET, TNT).
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You may e-mail him here, discover his archive here and follow him on X. 
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