Breaking down the numbers that mattered in Knicks' dramatic Game 2 win over 76ers
The Knicks head to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Thursday after their improbable Game 2 win. You already know all about the ending of Game 2. The big shots, offensive rebounds, officiating. But there were many other contributing factors to New York’s win on Monday night.
Here, Brendan Brown breaks down some elements of the game that will be relevant as the series shifts to Philadelphia.
NUMBERS THAT MATTERED
THIRD QUARTER REBOUNDING: NYK 30, PHI 21; PHI ONLY TWO OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
BROWN: “The Knicks shield off the Sixers well here and a number of missed shots carom long or at midrange. This allowed the Knicks to generate quality scoring chances playing in the flow; (Joel) Embiid is out of position a couple of times, allowing (Isaiah) Hartenstein to score. He went 5-for-5 in the third. The initial push, thanks to the rebounding, allowed the Knicks to attack the Sixers early in the shot clock."
ONLY EIGHT TURNOVERS FOR KNICKS
BROWN: “This seems very elementary but the math is telling and important. The Sixers have a dependence on fast break points. (Tobias) Harris and (Kelly) Oubre Jr. are players who succeed in transition. With only eight turnovers, the Sixers are not getting what they need there. The Knicks shot just 39.6 percent in Game 1, but retained 23 offensive rebounds and got 91 overall shots. The Knicks shot 40.7 percent in Game 2 and got just 12 offensive rebounds. But they ended up with 91 shot attempts again. That is the only reason, by math, that they won either game. Keeping the Sixers out of the open floor is major and they did that by taking care of the ball.
EMBIID AND MAXEY: 69 POINTS (24-of-51, 47.0 FG percentage, 7-of-20, 35 3PT percent, 14-of-18 77.8 FT percentage)
REST OF SIXERS: 32 POINTS (12-of-33 36.3 FG percentage, 6-of-16 37.5 3PT percentage, 2-of-4 50 FT percentage)
BROWN: “Before the series started, we profiled the inconsistent scoring production behind the Sixers’ two main threats. That is happening again. Only Harris reached double figures for Philadelphia outside of the main two. That matters, particularly when it comes to strategy. How you defend in the halfcourt; who is really hurting you. In contrast, all five Knicks starters were in double figures last night; six players are averaging double figures after the first two games. Knicks are getting makes from different players in different areas of the floor. For the Knicks, you are having to work on Embiid and Maxey in a lot of the same spots; they are shooting in the 45-to-47 percent range, not killing you. There isn’t a lot of diversity on which other Sixers are scoring and what areas of the floor they’re shots are coming from.
“(Kyle) Lowry had the great third quarter in Game 1 -- a lot of his shots were wide open. He was covered up well in Game 2. Also, Embiid and Maxey are a combined 12-for-37 on threes in the first two games. They’re hitting 32 percent and the Knicks win that battle when they both settle for perimeter shots.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
JALEN BRUNSON’S SHOOTING
BROWN: "So Jalen is shooting 29 percent overall on 27.5 field goal attempts per game and 16 percent from beyond the arc. He’s gotten to the line 15 times in the first two games. The primary defender’s length is bothering him. They played (Nic) Batum on him a little more last night. I think that everyone sees he is off-kilter on his releases. There are occasions where I think he is trying to get away from the length -- find an open space or seam -- and his feet aren’t set. It's like he is gliding when releasing the shot. People are saying he’s missing shots he usually makes, which is true to a degree. But the nature of the (defender’s) length is distorting his release point just a little -- and his footwork just a little off. And that small alteration matters in the playoffs. His favorite midrange shot areas are being challenged very hard by the primary defender and a little help. They are moving him out of his most comfortable zones. Worth noting: Brunson had several good assists to Hartenstein in Game 2. That may be a more successful solution than taking very difficult shots over good length.”
KNICKS DEFENSE
BROWN: “Everyone wants to point to the Knicks’ 21-3 mark with OG Anunoby, and that is impressive. But he is having some trouble keeping up with Maxey when he matches up on him. Good defense is a team game -- do not underestimate what (Josh) Hart, (Miles) McBride and most importantly, (Donte) DiVincenzo are doing off the ball in defending their role players. Since the All-Star break, Donte’s defensive activity has been off the charts. Last night, he just heated up whomever he was guarding; denying the basic catch, chasing hard around pindowns and dribble handoffs and applying great ball pressure. How exactly do you measure this? There are analytics and ratings for deflections and other variables. But his intensity, in general terms, is another little piece that makes the Knicks successful. His defensive area is a major factor when you consider the Sixers role players are being shut down; it was a huge factor in Game 2.
BOGDANOVIC STRIKES AGAIN…
BROWN: “Every piece of a playoff game counts. The ending of Game 2 makes you forget other segments. Last night, it appeared that the Knicks were in control of the game at the end of the third quarter. But two quick Sixers baskets made it 79-78. Knicks timeout. When (Bojan) Bogdanovic makes the next two threes, it boosts the lead. But more importantly, it made Nick Nurse burn a timeout. That helped down the stretch.
“The bench only shot 6-for-18 in Game 2, but they were able to contribute 12 points in the second half; they outscored the Sixers’ bench 12-5 in the second half. For the game, they outscored the Sixers 16-10. Maybe not the impact of Game 1, but when you win by 3 and you have won this little area by 6…all of the small pieces add up.”
