Fly, Sixers, Fly: Knicks Fall to Philadelphia in Not-So-Super Second Half
It's not about how you start, but how you finish. Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks were forced to learn that the hard way on Friday night.
An early showcase for Brunson wasn't enough to sustain the Knicks in their second and final visit to Wells Fargo Center this season, as the hosting Philadelphia 76ers took over the second half to secure a 119-108 victory. The Sixers (35-19) not only avenged a loss from Sunday but forced a split of the four-game season series between the Atlantic Division rivals.
Brunson set a new season-high for the Knicks (30-27) with 20 points alone in the opening quarter, an effort that came less than 48 hours after his collegiate efforts in the Philadelphia area were recognized by a commemoration at his alma mater of Villanova University. Julius Randle likewise hit 30 points, half of those tallies coming on five triples.
With trade deadline acquistion Josh Hart with the team but not dressed, Burnson was more than happy to atone for the relative lack of Villanova representation in his return to Wells Fargo Center. His victorious homecoming carried on with the opening attack, reaching at least 30 points for the third time over the last six contests.
Brunson's 20 accounting for more than half of the Knicks' scoring over the first 12 minutes as they led 36-28 after the first, their lead summiting at 13 before the first period ended. The Sixers fought back with a 10-2 run to open the second (half of it coming from the reserve arms of Tyrese Maxey) but the Knicks barely bettered that run at 10-1 to build the foundation toward a healthy halftime lead.
But Philadelphia withstood that early New York onslaught through a second half performance that saw them allow only 15 points over the last dozen minutes. Joel Embiid (35 points, 11 rebounds) and James Harden (20 points, 12 assists) each had double-doubles while Maxey (27 points total) and Georges Niang united for eight of the 76ers' 14 triples. The Sixers shot 56 percent over the latter 24, outscoring New York 60-43.
Thus ends the four-game set between the Knicks and Sixers, the rivals sharing the set for the second straight season.
The Knicks won't have long to study the loss that denied them a three-game winning streak, as they'll host the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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