Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half as the New York Knicks overwhelmed the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, extending a remarkable postseason run.
New York became the first team in NBA history to win three consecutive playoff games by at least 25 points, a stretch that began in the first round against Atlanta. The Knicks shot 63% as a team and led by as many as 40 points en route to the lopsided victory.
“We’re playing well, but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So, we’ve just got to stick to the task at hand.”
OG Anunoby added 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Towns and Mikal Bridges each finished with 17. Towns also recorded six rebounds and six assists in just 20 minutes. After falling behind 2-1 to Atlanta, the Knicks have now won four straight postseason games by a combined 135 points. According to Sportradar, they are the first team since detailed play-by-play tracking began in 1996-97 to lead three straight playoff games by at least 30 points.
Brunson credited improved focus and attention to detail after the team’s earlier struggles. “Yes, it’s turned into obviously big wins, but those attention to detail things are going to help us in the close ones as well,” he said.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday before the series moves to Philadelphia. Joel Embiid has already urged 76ers fans not to sell their tickets to Knicks supporters, but Monday’s performance gave little encouragement to the home crowd.
Paul George led Philly with 17 points. Embiid managed just 14 on 3-for-11 shooting, and Tyrese Maxey scored 13, not hitting his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter. The 76ers had only one full day off after their comeback win in Boston to close out the first round, but on Monday they resembled the team that suffered two 32-point losses earlier in the playoffs.
New York’s first-round finish was far easier, capped by a 140-89 win over Atlanta in Game 6 that featured a record 47-point halftime lead. Monday’s contest had long stretches that echoed that blowout.
“They were obviously picking us apart, moving a lot better than we were,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.
The Knicks stretched a 10-point lead to 57-39 with an eight-point run midway through the second quarter, and Brunson closed the half with the team’s final 11 points, including a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left, to make it 74-51 at intermission. Towns’ 3 early in the third made it 90-60 about five minutes into the second half, after which reserves played much of the rest of the game. Brunson logged 31 minutes, perhaps the only reason he didn’t reach 40 points for a fourth consecutive playoff game against Philadelphia.
Brunson averaged 35.5 points in a first-round series against the 76ers in 2024, finishing with three straight 40-point games, including a franchise playoff record 47 in Game 4. Philadelphia has yet to find a reliable way to contain him.