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Tyrese Maxey and Philadelphia Hold Off Knicks’ Late Charge
With 33.6 seconds left, VJ Edgecombe planted himself beyond the arc and buried the three-pointer that gave Philadelphia breathing room. The 76ers had spent all night trying to prove they were not the same team New York…
With 33.6 seconds left, VJ Edgecombe planted himself beyond the arc and buried the three-pointer that gave Philadelphia breathing room. The 76ers had spent all night trying to prove they were not the same team New York swept last spring. Their 98-93 win over the defending champions did exactly that, lifting Philadelphia from 4-1 to 5-1 while the Knicks fell to 2-4.
Philadelphia struck first with speed and star power. Joel Embiid opened the scoring at the line, Tyrese Maxey drilled a three, and LeBron James followed with a driving layup. New York answered through Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, but James hit a deep three to help the Sixers take a 12-7 lead. The key early stretch came later in the quarter. Embiid stole a pass, and Edgecombe flew in for a running dunk. That sequence pushed Philadelphia ahead 20-11 and forced New York to chase.
The Sixers kept their grip in the second quarter. Maxey attacked the rim for a dunk, then scored again after a Knicks turnover to make it 37-26. James, playing the role of calm organizer, knocked down a 30-foot three for a 42-28 lead. New York did not fade. Jalen Brunson hit a three, Miles McBride scored 10 points off the bench, and Mikal Bridges made a late three. Yet Maxey answered with a 29-foot three before halftime, sending Philadelphia to the locker room ahead 53-44.
The champions showed why they are so hard to put away in the third. Brunson stole the ball from Maxey, then set up Bridges before scoring himself to cut the gap to five, 59-54. But Philadelphia’s reserves answered. Anfernee Simons, a Sixers guard, hit three three-pointers in the quarter, including one with 5.1 seconds left. His 21 points gave Philadelphia a 77-68 lead entering the fourth.
Towns became New York’s engine in the final period. He scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, using a three and several strong finishes to pull the Knicks within 85-83. After Towns hit another long jumper, New York trailed only 87-85 with 4:46 remaining. The game tightened even more when Brunson’s step-back three put the Knicks ahead 90-89 with 1:32 left.
James answered with a fadeaway jumper, and Edgecombe’s huge three made it 94-90. Maxey missed near the rim on the next trip, but James grabbed the offensive rebound and tipped it in. That hustle play made it 96-91 and sealed the turn of the game. Maxey led Philadelphia with 27 points, while James added 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Philadelphia now carries a powerful early-season statement into its next game against Charlotte. New York showed fight in its comeback, but it must regroup before facing Brooklyn. This rematch was only an October chapter, yet the Sixers showed they have new answers for the champions.