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PHILADELPHIA - Jalen Brunson scored 33 points and delivered key baskets late in the game, helping the New York Knicks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 109-94 on Friday night for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals, according to the Associated Press.
Knicks pull away in the fourth quarter for commanding series lead
What we know:
Brunson led the Knicks with 33 points, sealing the win with late-game shots as Knicks fans cheered in Philadelphia.
Josh Hart contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 23 points, according to the Associated Press.
The Knicks turned a four-point lead into a double-digit margin in the fourth quarter, with Hart and Bridges making consecutive baskets and Brunson hitting a 3-pointer during a 9-0 run.
The Knicks are now one win away from their second straight conference finals appearance under first-year coach Mike Brown, according to the Associated Press.
The Sixers tried to rally in front of a crowd that included many Knicks fans, with Quintin Grimes hitting two early fourth-quarter 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 88-84.
The Knicks played without OG Anunoby, who is averaging 21.4 points per game in the postseason and remains day to day with a strained right hamstring, according to the Associated Press.
Sixers’ star Joel Embiid returns, but New York’s "Nova Knicks" shine
Joel Embiid scored 18 points for the Sixers after missing Game 2 with a sprained right ankle and sore right hip. Embiid’s return from an appendectomy previously helped the Sixers rally from a 3-1 deficit to upset the Celtics in the opening round.
Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 22 points, and Tyrese Maxey added 17. Landry Shamet, who had 14 points in the entire postseason before Game 3, scored 15 on Friday.
Brunson, Hart and Bridges—who all played for Villanova—were key in the Knicks’ fourth-quarter surge, with the crowd split between Sixers and Knicks fans. Celebrity Knicks supporters like Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Morgan and Ben Stiller attended the game.
Embiid had urged Sixers fans not to sell tickets to New Yorkers before the series, saying, "Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys," according to the Associated Press.
Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday in Philadelphia.
The Sixers face a tough challenge, needing to win four straight games—including two in New York—to advance.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear if OG Anunoby will return for Game 4, and the Sixers’ strategy for avoiding elimination has not been detailed.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report.