The New York Knicks took control of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday night with a 108-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, pushing the series to 3-0 as Jalen Brunson led the way with 33 points and late-game execution.
After the game, Kelly Oubre Jr. detailed how the Knicks created separation, pointing first to the decisive edge on the glass.
“Well, I think they did a better job of tracking down the long rebounds,” Oubre said. “It’s an instinctual thing. They got long shots, a lot of threes. They had five more attempts than us and we made the same amount, but they were just able to capitalize on getting those rebounds, those long misses.”
Philadelphia struggled to match New York’s extra possessions, especially during key stretches where momentum shifted.
“Yeah, stay swaggy,” Oubre said when asked about regrouping for Game 4. “We going in tomorrow, learn from our mistakes from tonight, try to capitalize on those things. But obviously, as you’ve seen, the tale of this team is resilience. We have no choice but to fight.”
He emphasized the urgency of the situation as the series turns to Sunday.
“We have to go out there and take it one game at a time,” Oubre said. “We’ve dug ourselves a deep hole, but at the end of the day, only us together in this organization, in this locker room, can dig ourselves out.”
Philadelphia’s early rhythm also stood out, but sustaining it over 48 minutes became the issue.
“We started off the game very hot,” Oubre said. “We started the game off with a lot of energy. But like we always say, it’s a 48-minute match and we have to consistently keep that.”
Turnovers during late third-quarter stretches again proved costly as New York built control.
“We have to figure out a way to get each other better, continue to just uplift each other when somebody may be down or somebody may be tired,” Oubre said. “We have to be able to have that communication within our huddle.”
The Knicks’ defensive attention on Tyrese Maxey and ball pressure on actions involving Jalen Brunson also shaped possessions, something Oubre acknowledged directly.
“JB is a great player and he’s going to figure out how to be effective because his team needs him to be,” Oubre said. “But at the end of the day, it’s up to us to just try to slow him down a little bit.”
Asked about Philadelphia fans creating a road-like atmosphere at home, Oubre kept the focus internal.
“At the end of the day, man, we’re the show on the court,” Oubre said. “We’re not necessarily focused on the crowd, things like that. Obviously we need it, we love it and we love our fans, but at the end of the day, we have to lock in on our tasks.”
He also addressed the late third-quarter stretch where New York extended control during empty possessions.
“It’s very hard,” Oubre said. “They’re a polished group. They’ve been playing together. They’ve kind of been able to tap into what they need at the opportune times, and we have to get there and do that same thing.”
With the Knicks closing strong behind Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart, Philadelphia now faces elimination pressure heading into Game 4.
“It’s inevitable,” Oubre said of fatigue. “But the teams that play till the last game of the season, don’t you think they’re tired too? It’s the ones who are mentally tough.”
“We have to fight the fatigue,” he added. “There ain’t no excuse.”
