The New York Knicks walked into Philadelphia facing a desperate 76ers team and left with something even more valuable than a road win. Behind another fourth-quarter takeover from Jalen Brunson, the Knicks beat the Sixers 108-94 on Friday night to grab a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
New York is now one win away from a second straight trip to the Eastern Conference finals, and the pressure on Philadelphia has reached a breaking point.
Brunson once again looked built for the postseason moment. After opening the night just 2-of-8 from the field, the Knicks star settled in and finished with 33 points and nine assists while controlling the game late.
The defining stretch came midway through the fourth quarter after Philadelphia cut the deficit to four. Quentin Grimes drilled back-to-back threes to make it 88-84 and briefly brought the arena back to life, but the Villanova core that has reshaped the Knicks responded immediately.
Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges scored on consecutive possessions before Brunson buried a deep three from the top of the key that pushed the lead to 95-86 during a crushing 9-0 run. Thousands of Knicks fans inside Xfinity Mobile Arena erupted as Philadelphia’s momentum disappeared almost instantly.
Bridges added 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while Hart finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The trio repeatedly punished Philadelphia’s defensive breakdowns in transition and half-court actions during winning time.
The Knicks also got a massive boost from Landry Shamet, who entered the night with only 14 total postseason points. He scored 15 off the bench and knocked down a key three late in the third quarter that stretched the lead to nine.
New York won despite missing OG Anunoby, who remained sidelined with a strained right hamstring. The Knicks have now won six straight playoff games and continue to look deeper and more connected with every round.
Philadelphia had its chances early. Paul George scored 15 points in the first quarter as the Sixers built a 12-point lead, and Joel Embiid returned after missing Game 2 with a sprained right ankle and sore right hip to score 18 points with six rebounds and five assists.
But the game flipped after halftime. George failed to score after the opening quarter and missed his final nine shots. Tyrese Maxey finished with 17 points and seven assists, yet neither he nor George attempted a single free throw.
That difference became impossible to ignore. The Knicks attempted 32 free throws compared to only 16 for Philadelphia, consistently forcing contact while controlling the paint and the glass.
Now the Sixers face the reality of needing four straight wins against a Knicks team that looks increasingly comfortable in high-pressure moments.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
