Knicks-Sixers: 5 takeaways from dramatic Game 4
Jalen Brunson delivered an outstanding performance with a playoff career-high 47 points, helping the Knicks secure a 3-1 lead in the series against the 76ers.
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When Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby have both been in the lineup, the New York Knicks have a record of 22-3.
They were two of the five players who played more than 43 minutes of Game 4 of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon, and they had their fingerprints all over New York’s 97-92 victory.
Brunson set a new Knicks playoff record by scoring 47 points, surpassing Bernard King’s two 46-point performances in 1984. He also managed to deliver 10 assists with just one turnover.
Anunoby contributed 16 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks, and also played a crucial defensive role against Joel Embiid.
Here are a few numbers, observations, and film excerpts as the Knicks advanced to a 3-1 lead in the series…
1. Knicks, Brunson target Embiid
Second Spectrum tracking data shows that the Knicks set up 52 ball screens for Brunson, 35 of which were set by the player Embiid was defending. Thus, even though the two MVPs weren’t guarding each other, the game was essentially a showdown between Brunson and Embiid from the Knicks’ perspective.
It began with Embiid in drop coverage, safeguarding the rim and letting Brunson step into easy jump shots if Brunson’s defender got tangled in the screen.
At times, Embiid was positioned higher and Brunson managed to make him back off…
That “at the level” coverage can sometimes provide a runway for the roll man, but Embiid was twice able to recover and contest or block a layup attempt by the Knicks’ bigs.
Ultimately, Brunson outperformed Embiid, scoring 47 points in total. The most impressive of these 47 points was a remarkable, fading runner across his body just as the shot clock buzzer sounded, following a forced switch by Embiid…
A few minutes later, Embiid was well beyond the 3-point line and got caught on the wrong side of the screen as Brunson drove for a layup to put the Knicks up three with a little more than five minutes left.
It’s clear that Philly needs to improve on taking the ball from Brunson’s possession. However, making Embiid guard pick-and-rolls more assertively isn’t the answer. The responsibility falls on the other Sixers to better handle those screens and be prepared to assist off Brunson’s team members.
2. Knicks continue to dominate the glass
Those New York teammates were just 5-for-19 from 3-point range on Sunday, but are still 40-for-98 (41%) from beyond the arc on the series.
Assisting the ball also exposes a defense’s vulnerability on the glass, and once again, the Knicks capitalized on this by punishing the Sixers with offensive rebounds…
- In Game 1, the Knicks had 23 offensive boards and 26 second-chance points.
- In Game 2, the Knicks had just 12 and 12, but it was Isaiah Hartenstein’s offensive rebound that led to Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning 3-pointer.
- During Game 4, the Knicks capitalized on 15 offensive rebounds and other opportunities such as loose-ball fouls or rebounds that went out of bounds, scoring 21 second-chance points.
More than half (11) of those second-chance points came in the fourth quarter. And those 11 second-chance points accounted for more than half of the Knicks’ 20 points in the period. It was a one-point game after the third quarter and it was an ugly fourth, with the two teams combining to shoot 12-for-45 (27%).
Rebounding becomes nearly twice as crucial when the field goal percentage slightly exceeds half the league average. The team that excelled in rebounding emerged as the winner on Sunday.
In the first round against the Cleveland Cavaliers last year, the Knicks retained 39.4% of available offensive boards, the highest rate for any team in any series in 10 years. Their offensive rebounding percentage in this series (38.9%) is only a tick lower than that.
3. Defending Embiid is not a one-man job
Mitchell Robinson was absent from the Knicks due to re-injuring his ankle in Game 3. Hartenstein, after having no fouls in the first half, accrued five in the third quarter. This resulted in Precious Achiuwa being on the court for the last 13:25.
However, it wasn’t him who was guarding Embiid during that period. The responsibility was given to the 6-foot-8 Anunoby, who had a lot of assistance.
“Embiid is tough to handle,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau after the game. “You can’t just guard him one-on-one. You need the whole team’s defense to manage him.”
The Sixers’ execution against double-teams was a mixed bag. There were possessions in the third quarter where Tyrese Maxey shot too quickly or Kelly Oubre Jr. stopped the ball instead of swinging it to a wide-open teammate.
A couple of good shots were taken midway through the fourth from the double. Trailing by three, the ball was passed to Maxey by Kyle Lowry. Maxey exploited a gap in the Knicks’ defense and set up Oubre for a dunk under the basket.
Maxey then missed a wide-open 3 on the next possession when the Knicks’ first rotation was late (and coming from too far away).
4. Knicks force Sixers to play late in the clock
The Sixers’ last field goal was the dunk by Oubre with 5:04 remaining. On the following possession, the Knicks gave up an open 3 to Maxey, however, they significantly improved their defense afterwards.
The initial strategy revolved around preventing the Sixers from initiating their offense. Despite the Knicks holding a three-point lead with slightly over three minutes remaining, Philly attempted to have Brunson take on Maxey. However, Brunson and Miles McBride, aided by Achiuwa, managed to prevent this from happening…
When the Sixers eventually achieved their desired switch, only five seconds remained on the shot clock. Brunson successfully managed Maxey’s initial drive, while McBride retaliated with a double-team. Anunoby’s rotation intimidated Lowry into forgoing a 3-pointer, and as the shot clock ran out, Achiuwa rotated to block Embiid’s 3-pointer.
On the next possession, there were eight seconds left on the clock before the Sixers got what they wanted (an Embiid post catch), because Anunoby initially kept the big man from using an Oubre screen. The Knicks doubled Embiid, Achiuwa rotated up to Maxey, kept him out of the paint (as the other Knicks stayed home on shooters), and forced him into a tough, step-back jumper that came up way short.
5. Knicks double, scramble and contest
The Sixers remained only four points behind when Lowry secured a rebound from an Oubre’s missed shot. He instantly passed the ball to Embiid, positioned on the left side of the court with 11 seconds remaining on the shot clock. The Knicks, once more, counteracted with a double-team.
New York’s rotations were once again outstanding, with Josh Hart brilliantly contesting Tobias Harris’ attempt at a corner 3-point shot…
At that stage in the game, Anunoby had clocked over 45 minutes, Hart had exceeded 44 minutes, and Brunson had surpassed 42 minutes. Yet, the Knicks’ defensive vigor remained top-notch.
After scoring 125 points on just 91 possessions (137 per 100) in Game 3, the Sixers had just 92 on 91 in Game 4, including just 16 on 21 (76 per 100) in the fourth quarter.
That 22-3 record that the Knicks have with both Brunson and Anunoby includes a 13-0 mark at Madison Square Garden, where they can end this series in Game 5 on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, TNT).
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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