The Philadelphia 76ers might need to declare the time of death on their season, as the franchise fell to a 20-38 record with a road 105-110 loss to the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks saw Jalen Brunson put up 34 points (8-17 FG) and seven assists to lead the team while Mikal Bridges had a great night with 28 points (12-18 FG). OG Anunoby contributed 16 points (5-15 FG) and nine rebounds while Josh Hart had a quiet scoring night with seven points (3-5 FG) but grabbed 17 rebounds. Only Brunson, Bridges, and Anunoby scored in double-digits as the Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns.
The 76ers were also without their star center as Joel Embiid didn’t play. Despite that, a trio of performers tried to carry the franchise to their first win since January. Tyrese Maxey put up 30 points (12-32 FG) and five assists while playing all but 30 seconds of the game. Kelly Oubre had 27 points (9-14 FG) and five rebounds, while Paul George put up 25 points (9-20 FG), eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
Let’s take a deeper look at this game and analyze the major takeaways.
76ers Couldn’t Maximize Their Chances
The 76ers played some of their best basketball in weeks tonight by relying on essentially a Playoff rotation where established stars like Maxey, George, and Oubre all played 42 minutes or more in this game. The team didn’t really have a lot at their disposal with five rotational players out injured, including former MVP Joel Embiid, whose season looks to be in jeopardy.
The 76ers relied on an extremely aggressive on-ball defensive style which picked up 13 steals by forcing the Knicks into turnovers that they converted into shot attempts. However, they couldn’t really convert much into shot makes, as they went 39-88 (44.3 FG%) from the field and 11-34 from three (32.4 3P%).
Given the narrow margin of the loss, just a few favorable spins on the rim leading to buckets could’ve ended their losing streak. Nick Nurse has proven he’s a good coach over his career and this win could’ve been another sign of his adaptability as a coach, but the loss means his job remains under a scanner going forward.
Unless there’s a major internal change, it doesn’t look like the 76ers can compete at all with the state of their season.
Knicks’ Efficiency Saved Their Game
This was not a good showing for the Knicks, let’s be clear about that. While the team did what was required and picked up the win, this was a lethargic showing from the Knicks who almost got out-hustled by the 76ers into losing this game. Thankfully, the team was in a solid offensive rhythm and made the most of the opportunities.
Despite taking 11 fewer shot attempts, the Knicks picked up the five-point win by going 40-77 (51.9 FG%) and 7-19 (36.8 3P%) from three. It’s uncommon for a team that took much fewer shots to pull out a narrow win, but the Knicks attacked the 76ers’ defense in the right spots and maximized the opportunities they got, unlike Philly.
There is an inherently well-integrated offensive rhythm in the Knicks’ style of play right now, and that’s what helped them win. The ball was moving well and the Knicks tried to exploit that. While that same style led to turnovers from pesky defenders, their offensive formula gave them just enough to pick this win up.
This win doesn’t fill people with confidence that the Knicks are viable challengers to the two leading East contenders like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, but it is a win nonetheless.
Philadelphia Needs To Shut It Down
The 76ers are beyond the point of saving their season for a fugazi Playoff run. They’re 20-38 this season and are falling further behind in the standings. They’re currently 2.5 games behind the No. 10 seed while occupying the No. 12 seed themselves. With George complaining about playing through injuries and Embiid being potentially shut down, what are the 76ers trying to do at this point?
We would say it’s time they bench players like Maxey and George to protect them for next season, but the team anyway can’t seem to win a game when these players are on the court. Their complete roster reshuffle in the summer has gone horribly wrong and it’s time Daryl Morey admits it and pivots in 2025 free agency because this squad hasn’t looked like even a competent Playoff team at any point this season.
The 76ers could land a real star if they tank to keep their top-six protected draft pick in their own control. It’s time they start looking to the future because this season is over.
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