Having spent the past week amassing a solid winning streak and an in-season championship, the New York Knicks were finally cracked by the ringers of the Liberty Bell.
The Knicks’ official six-game winning streak came to an end in Friday night’s return to Madison Square Garden, which saw them drop a 116-107 decision to the Philadelphia 76ers. Friday marked just the second Knicks loss under MSG’s iconic roof this season and the first since Nov. 12.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points for the victorious Sixers while VJ Edgecombe had 23 in his MSG debut. Wasted on the Knicks’ side was Mitchell Robinson’s finest effort of the season, one that saw him pair 21 points with 16 rebounds and, perhaps most importantly, a 7-of-8 output at the foul line.
The Knicks’ exhaustion was most apparent in struggles for their stars (Jalen Brunson was 7-of-22 from the field while OG Anunoby and Josh Hart combined for seven on 3-of-16) and in the dire final moments.
Neither team led by more than seven in any of the first three periods and a thrilling finish appeared to be in store as the teams traded shots. Mikal Bridges’ three, one of only eight the Knicks made all night, re-established a three-point game just before the two-minute mark.
But back-to-back tallies from the Sixers sealed the Knicks’ dire fate despite lacking headliners Joel Embiid and Kelly Oubre: Andre Drummond, stepping in for the ill Embiid in the starting five, secured a successful and-one after Bridges’ deep ball and before a Brunson misfire. Edgecombe then dunked home a miss to create a new largest lead and the game essentially ended with Maxey’s three countering a Karl-Anthony Towns double to create the final margin with just over 47 seconds to go.
Friday marked the Knicks’ fourth game in the last seven days in their third different city: the week, of course, began in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup festivities that ended with New York on top, though Tuesday’s championship win over San Antonio did not count in the regular season standings. Friday was the latter portion of a back-to-back after Thursday’s narrow win in Indianapolis while Philadelphia (15-11) was working on five days’ rest.
Despite the weariness, the Knicks (19-8) posted a plus-21 advantage in the rebounding department, with three different New Yorkers (Robinson, Hart, and leading scorer Towns) pulling in at least 10. Manhattan won’t have to wait long for revenge against the Sixers, who will be back at MSG on Jan. 3
In the meantime, the Knicks are back in action on Sunday evening when they host the Miami Heat. (6 p.m. ET, MSG).
