Jalen Brunson's franchise-playoff-record 47 points lead Knicks to 97-92 Game 4 win over 76ers
The Knicks took Game 4 from the Philadelphia 76ers, winning 97-92 on Sunday afternoon.
Here are the key takeaways…
- Jalen Brunson has had his struggles in the series, but the point guard was on a mission early, scoring the first seven points of the game for the road team. Brunson dropped 23 points in the first half on 10-of-15 shooting.
In the third quarter, just as the Sixers looked to pull away, it was Brunson who kept the Knicks in it, getting to the rim and being an assassin in the mid-range off of pick-and-rolls. By the end of the third, Brunson, even after taking a cheap shot from Joel Embiid, had 38 points, and the Knicks led by one.
But, at the end of the third quarter, Kyle Lowry bumped into Brunson, who came up hobbling. Brunson went into the locker room and was not on the floor to start the fourth. He would return, though, a few minutes into the fourth.
The game stayed tight into the final minutes of the fourth, and it was Brunson who helped carry the the Knicks to the key victory, delivering a dagger to put the Knicks up by six with under a minute to go.
The point guard finished with 47 points, a Knicks franchise playoff record.
- Mitchell Robinson tested out his left ankle before the game, but was ultimately ruled out. So, with the Knicks’ depth at center under a microscope, Embiid attacked early. Embiid had 10 points, six boards and four assists in the first quarter, with Isaiah Hartenstein playing all 12 minutes for the Knicks.
The two teams traded haymakers into the third quarter, but Hartenstein picked up five fouls in the quarter. After not having a single foul in the first half, the big man went to the bench late in the third with five personals to his name. Precious Achiuwa entered and give the Knicks big minutes off the bench.
In all, Embiid finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, but the Knicks centers did a tremendous job against him.
- In the opening seconds of the second quarter, Bojan Bogdanovic and Nic Batum got tangled up while fighting for a loose ball. Batum landed on Bogdanovic’s left leg, and Bogdanovic appeared to be in a lot of pain. The three-point shooter went to the locker room and was ruled questionable to return with a left foot contusion. Later, he was ruled out.
If Bogdanovic is to miss any time in upcoming games, the Knicks’ already thin rotation will be even more shorthanded.
- Josh Hart averaged 21.0 points per game in the first three games of this series, but he was a non-factor offensively for most of Game 4. But in typical fashion, Hart found other ways to have a huge impact on the game, making a huge block on Batum in the fourth and ending up with four points and 17 rebounds (five offensive).
- OG Anunoby had the exact type of game the Knicks envisioned from him when they acquired him in the trade with Toronto. Anunoby finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks.
- The Knicks won this game on the glass, pulling in 15 offensive rebounds and outrebounding the Sixers in total, 60-53.
Who was the game MVP?
Brunson, who put the Knicks on his back with 47 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds.
Highlights
What's next
Game 5 brings the series back to New York on Tuesday night at 7 p.m, and the Knicks have a chance to close things out.
