The New York Knicks bounced back from a tough loss in a big way Tuesday night, as they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in Joel Embiid’s return and the NBA Cup opener by a score of 111-99. New York improves back to .500 on the season at 5-5 while Philadelphia continues its poor start to the season and drops to 2-8.
The Knicks silenced the 76ers in Joel Embiid’s season debut
The 76ers were missing All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in this one, but they still had Paul George and Embiid. The Knicks did a great job at preventing the 2023 MVP from taking over the game, as they Embiid to just 13 points on 2-for-11 shooting in his season debut.
Overall, the 76ers shot just 37% from the floor and 33% from three. They scored roughly a fifth of their points at the free throw line (23-for-24), and all five Knicks starters recorded at least one steal. The Knicks totaled eight steals on the night and Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride recorded two each.
After the poor defensive effort on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers, this was a solid bounce-back performance by the Knicks on that end of the floor. Along with the stronger play on the perimeter, they improved significantly on the interior as they allowed just 30 points in the paint and scored 54 on the offensive end.
The Knicks were working well as a unit
The Knicks showed off their playmaking in this game, as they recorded 31 assists compared to the 76ers’ 19. Josh Hart led the way in that department with 10 assists, part of a triple-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns showed off his precision passing with six assists, and Jalen Brunson added five of his own.
On the flip side, however, the Knicks uncharacteristically turned the ball over too many times. They recorded 15 turnovers on the night, including six from Brunson. The Knicks’ captain improved his play in the fourth quarter with 10 points and no turnovers, but it was a struggle for him overall on the night as he finished with just 18 points on 5-for-15 shooting and 0-for-4 from three.
OG Anunoby continued his hot scoring against the 76ers
Similar to their last game against the Pacers, OG Anunoby was a force against the 76ers. He finished with a team-high 24 points with a true shooting percentage of 75%. He also made his presence felt on the defensive end, as he grabbed six rebounds and recorded a block and a steal.
Anunoby has now recorded at least 20 points in four of his last six games and is showcasing why he received such a lucrative contract in the offseason. In that same six-game span, Anunoby is averaging 20 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists and is shooting 52% from the floor and 48% from three (17-for-35). Anunoby also has the second-highest plus-minus in that span with a +52, trailing only Miles McBride who has a plus-minus of +65.
The Knicks got themselves a much-needed win as they approach the lighter part of their schedule. They will take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday followed by the Brooklyn Nets twice and then the Washington Wizards. New York will try to start a winning streak as they look to get on the right track.