Takeaways: Knicks fend off Sixers in Game 1 victory as Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride star
NEW YORK – Game 1 goes to the Knicks.
In a wild, back-and-forth game that saw both teams blow double-digit leads, the Knicks ultimately pulled off a 111-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers to open up their first-round series Saturday in front of a raucous, lively Madison Square Garden crowd.
It was a physical, gritty contest – the type the Knicks have thrived in all season.
Game 2 is Monday at 7:30 p.m. (TNT/MSG Network) at The Garden.
If it’s anything like Game 1, this is going to be quite the series.
The Knicks got off to a bad start while the Sixers rolled through the early minutes – Joel Embiid scored the Sixers’ first nine points – and built up a lead that swelled to 13 points.
But the Knicks climbed back and tied the score at the 9:28 mark of the second quarter and took control of the game, ultimately taking a 58-46 lead into halftime.
Much of that came with Embiid out of the game after he drove toward the basket, bounced the ball off the backboard and slammed it through the net before landing awkwardly late in the second quarter.
Embiid was writhing in paint on the court before getting up and walking gingerly back to the locker room. He returned to the floor for the start of the second half.
The Knicks had a bad third quarter, getting outscored 36-21 in the period while the Sixers retook the lead.
A game that at one point seemed well in hand became a battle.
The Knicks made shots late – OG Anunoby drained a three-pointer with 1:28 remaining to put his team up by seven.
They held on from there.
Takeaways
Mitchell Robinson’s stellar on defense
The game changed in the Knicks’ favor when Robinson entered the game with about four minutes to go in the first quarter in place of Isaiah Hartenstein.
Robinson was stellar on defense and managed to limit Embiid after the Sixers’ center had his scorching hot start. Robinson did a good job staying in front of Embiid and keeping him away from the basket – at one point he forced Embiid into a double dribble near the three-point line.
The game was getting away from the Knicks, but Robinson helped stop the bleeding while the Knicks worked their way back into the game.
Robinson heard huge ovations from the crowd throughout the night, and deservedly so.
He finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Miles McBride delivers off the Knicks’ bench
While Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart struggled to score in the first half, McBride delivered a big lift.
McBride finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also had three rebounds, four assists and one steal.
McBride scored 12 of his points in the second quarter, a period that saw the Knicks outscore the Sixers 33-12.
Sixers manage to – mostly – limit Knicks star Jalen Brunson
It was a relatively quiet night for Brunson, who finished with 22 points on 5-of-12 shooting (1-of-6 from three-point range). He had seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal.
Philadelphia made things difficult on Brunson, something that’s likely going to last for the duration of the series.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Game 1 takeaways as Mitchell Robinson stars
