76ers Relish Win in '90s Game' vs Knicks

The New York Knicks' Sunday showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers felt like a relic from a bygone era.

The New York Knicks turned back the clock in the worst way possible on Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Facing a Philadelphia group missing stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Knicks dropped a 79-73 final at Madison Square Garden, setting the NBA's new low for the fewest points scored in a single game this season. In a cruel ironic twist, the Knicks had previously created that record on Friday, when they limited the Orlando Magic to 74 in a blowout win.

The 73 points that the Knicks scored were also their fewest in a single game since 2018, as they shot a season-low 32.5 percent from the field despite a strong defensive performance of their own. Sunday's low output, particularly a fourth quarter that featured 33 combined points, reminded 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. of the hard-nosed defensive efforts of the 1990s.

Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS

"That felt like a ’90s game, old school, straight East Coast basketball," Oubre, who led Philadelphia with 18 points, said, per Josh Grieb of Liberty Ballers. "(It was a) very defensive game. They played good defense as well, but we played a little bit better defense tonight."

Oubre drew defensive duties on Jalen Brunson and responded well, limiting the Knicks' All-Star to 19 points on 6-of-22 from the field (including 1-of-9 from three-point range).  

"JB’s a tough guard. It’s hard to guard him, but at the end of the day, I was glued on him all night,” Oubre said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “We were on a string on defense, boxes and elbows. We followed through with the game plan very nicely and it showed.”

Maxey Returning vs. Knick

If anyone among the Knicks was able to appreciate Sunday's defensive effort from afar, it was OG Anunoby. The Knicks' defense took an obvious turn for the better upon Anunoby's arrival from Toronto and he's reportedly set to make his way back when the Knicks face the 76ers again on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).