Breaking down the numbers that mattered in Knicks' pivotal Game 4 win over 76ers

Jalen Brunson’s 47-point, 10-assist game pushed the Knicks to a huge Game 4 win on Sunday. He was remarkable. But New York needed other key performances to get the win.

Below, Brendan Brown -- who has spent three decades in the NBA as a coach, scout and broadcaster – breaks down the key factors in Game 4 (and in the series) as the Knicks prepare for Game 5 on Tuesday:

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE WHAT BRUNSON JUST DID

BROWN: "'He does things like this all the time’ ...no, not like that. When you score 47 of your team’s 97 points and have 10 assists with just one turnover, that’s pretty much a perfect game. His shooting (18-for-34) was very good, and then think about 11 trips to the line in a very close game. Amazing, amazing performance.

"When you think that he was bottled up in Games 1 and 2, and then turned it all around in an opponent’s building – by making smarter adjustments – and taking a quicker approach to shooting and passing. He put his imprint on the game Sunday from the very start. Judging from body language, (Kelly) Oubre Jr. looks like he is tired of chasing him around. (Nic) Batum is still okay with the length, challenging. Brunson dominated switches in key spots – whether it was (Tobias) Harris or (Tyrese) Maxey – using different moves when needed. And the Knicks needed every one of the 47 points.”

GUARDING JOEL EMBIID

BROWN: "So Maxey and Embiid were averaging almost 68 points, combined, through three games on good shooting percentages. (Kyle) Lowry (11.7 points) was the only other Sixer averaging double figures. So before Game 4, (the question was) could you attack the main two guys with hard help or traps to slow them down?

"The Knicks showed some late help on Embiid near the lane in the first half. (Isaiah) Hartenstein getting in foul trouble (five personal fouls in the third quarter) almost was a blessing in disguise. (OG) Anunoby and (Precious) Achiuwa switched on and off on Embiid, denying his catches from all spots – in the post, at the elbow and at the top. Help came on the dribble. The Knicks barely fouled at all in the fourth and held Embiid to one point (0-for-4 shooting) in the fourth.

"Maxey and Embiid shot a combined 15-for-40 (37.5 percent) for 50 points. That is a far cry from the 68 points they were averaging in the series.

"(Donte) DiVincenzo and Hartenstein were the only minus players for the Knicks. Thibs stayed with the right group – it was working. (Miles) McBride chased and denied Maxey pretty well; he had some issues on drives, but McBride was fighting him. Achiuwa gets four blocks and four big offensive rebounds in just under 20 minutes. It’s a well-coached team with very solid game plans. Players off the bench can excel. McBride had a great Game 1, was a minus-8 in Games 2 and 3 and comes up big in Game 4. The Knicks have out-executed the Sixers in the fourth quarters of Games 1 and 4 – all the little things adding up to big victories.”

OG’S MOST IMPORTANT GAME

BROWN: “A lot has been made of Anunoby’s defensive impact on the team (overall record, net-rating etc.) But a good thing happened in Game 3 when the Knicks were trying to stay alive; OG started to excel on offense in the third quarter. He came out of the corner and started scoring on moves off the dribble.

"That paid off in Game 4. He was looking to score and wasn’t deferring. From the top of the game, he was looking for driving seams in transition of the flow. Someone else other than Brunson had to score. Anunoby’s aggressiveness with the ball was very important. He played almost 47 minutes. You know he is going to defend; the Knicks had Hart start on Maxey early in the game. But OG was huge on Embiid late in the fourth."

THE FOUR STOPS

BROWN: “Philadelphia was stuck on 92 (points) for a long time and the Knicks got four consecutive stops – starting at the 3:40 mark – that won the game. On two of these possessions, the Sixers really never got into their set play – a sign of remarkable effort of defense from the Knicks.

"The first possession of that stretch was probably the biggest representation of effort. The Sixers were trying to run a direct post-up to Embiid on the right side. Maxey is about 32 feet from the rim and Embiid is forced out to 17 feet trying to catch, almost fronted. The Sixers are tired and the Knicks are not. The feeder is jammed and the catcher is all covered up. Just outworking them. The next possession was just great communication between Brunson and McBride executing a physical, late-clock switch. The four-play stretch is even more impressive because you are stopping them on their court. Huge denials and a key to the win.”

SIXERS' OFFENSE OUTSIDE OF EMBIID AND MAXEY

EMBIID/MAXEY IN GAME 4: 50 points on 15-for-40 shooting (37.5 percent); 4-for-15 from three (26.7 percent) and 16-for-18 on free throws (88.9 percent)

REST OF TEAM IN GAME 4: 42 points on 14-for-42 shooting (33.3 percent); 5-for-18 from three (27.8 percent) and 9-for-11 on free throws (81.8 percent)

BROWN: "The 'other guys' were averaging 42 points through three games and they put up 42 in Game 4. The knock on the Sixers’ weakside offensive players was that they held the ball versus closeouts. Oubre and Maxey shot the weakside corner three quicker in this game with some success. So the weakside corner is still a concern for the Knicks. But the Sixers' bench contributed six points in 46 minutes played at home. That is unthinkable (2-for-11 shooting; 1-for-6 from three; 1-for-2 on free throws).

The Knicks have had small bench advantages in Games 2 and 4. But those small wins (plus-6 in Game 2 and plus-8 in Game 4) are huge in close victories."

HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT IT?

BROWN: "This is the hallmark of this current edition of New York Knicks. They shot 17-for-44 (38.6 percent) and 4-of-16 from three (25 percent) in the second half – that’s it. But when you hustle for 10 offensive rebounds you can still control the game. In the last 15 minutes, there were numerous times when the Sixers had a hand on the ball and didn’t get the rebound – the resiliency of the Knicks won out. Those extra possessions were so crucial when you break down the math of this win. New York and Philadelphia had similar shooting percentages in the second half. But the Knicks had six more offensive rebounds than the Sixers in the second half and took six more shots than Philly."

GETTING SOME 'THIRTIES'

BROWN: "In the Game 2 and Game 4 wins, the Knicks had very poor first quarters. In Game 2, which the Knicks won by three points, their score by quarter was 18/31/30/25 for a total of 104 points. In Game 4, which they won by five points, the Knicks’ score by quarter was 17/30/30/20 for a total of 97 points. Their ability to not panic after a weak first quarter and let their defense help create transition and flow baskets is a strong quality in the postseason. I thought the Sixers had good opportunities to really push the lead up in Game 4 at the end of the first quarter. But they got casual and allowed the Knicks to get back in the game; New York put up 30 points in both the second and third quarters."