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Ho, Ho, Oh No! Knicks Lose Brunson and Big Lead in Holiday Horror Show

Jalen Brunson made an early trip to the locker room as the New York Knicks watched an early double-figure lead completely evaporate on Sunday.

Geoff Magliocchetti

No matter what sort of deeds New York Knicks fans committed this year, they probably deserved better than the naughty list special bestowed to them in their most recent Christmas Day excursion.

New York jumped out to an early lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in the teams' 13th holiday get-together, but the advantage that summitted had completely disappeared by the fourth quarter, which saw the visitors build a 119-112 final at Madison Square Garden.

In addition to enduring their third consecutive loss, the Knicks (18-16) lost Jalen Brunson early, forced to medically evacuate the collapse with a hip injury in the fourth quarter. He was last seen exiting the floor and making his way to the Knicks' locker room in the latter stages. 

Philadelphia (20-12) earned its eighth consecutive victory, which is tied with Brooklyn for the longest active streak in the Association. Joel Embiid led the way with 35 points while James Harden had a 29-point, 13-assist double-double to go with four steals.

The good vibes of Christmas morning carried over to the early stages of the noon tip-off, as the Knicks' early lead made it as high as 14. Brunson and Julius Randle sank four from the field each over the first 12 minutes, combining for 23 points in the opening period. While Philadelphia narrowed the gap to three by the end of the half (which was capped off by a Shake Milton triple from midcourt after Embiid put in two with just over six seconds remaining), they never led at any point in the first 24. Embiid was held in check to the tune of 4-of-10 shooting from the field (earning seven of his 16 first half points from the foul line) while Randle brought the MSG crowd to its feet with 25 in that span.

But the Christmas carnage began in the third quarter: the Knicks boosted their lead to nine in the early stages but failed to secure it, instead allowing Embiid to break out to the tune of 15 points, uniting with Harden, who had a dozen more, to consistently keep the 76ers lingering within striking distance. The Embiid emergence was partly brought about by Mitchell Robinson's foul trouble: Robinson pulled down 16 rebounds on Sunday, including seven of the offensive variety.

But consecutive triples from Harden and Georges Niang (the first of four triples for the veteran over the last dozen) set the pace for the final frame and gave Philadelphia the lead for good. New York called timeout but that proved unworthy of ending the 76ers' big run, which made it to 15-4 before the Knicks finally regained their footing. By then it was too late, as the Knicks' 7-for-23 output was no match for Philadelphia's production from deep. 

Randle saw his double-double streak end at six but he still led the team with 35 points. Brunson had one in his place before his departure, picking up 23 points and 11 assists. New York has split its season series with Philadelphia thus far, having previously topped them on Nov. 4. Part three is scheduled for Feb. 5 at home.

The Knicks will engage in a family union in the first game of their post-Christmas slate on Tuesday night (8:30 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV): not only do several former Knicks reside on the Dallas Mavericks, but it will also mark the first visit to Dallas for Brunson as a member of the Knicks after he signed a $104 million deal in New York last offseason. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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