The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks, 125-114, at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal-round series. The Knicks lead the series, 2-1.
The 76ers (1-2) knew it was desperation time despite being down only two games, as another loss, this time on their home court, would have likely equated to an insurmountable deficit. Early on, however, it seemed as if that's precisely what would play out, with the Knicks (2-1) forging a three-point lead during a hard-fought first half. However, Philadelphia changed the tenor of the game for good in the third quarter, a period during which it outscored New York by a 43-27 margin before also keeping the visitors at a fairly comfortable distance throughout the final period.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with a 39-point, 13-assist double-double that also included two rebounds. Josh Hart delivered 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and one steal. OG Anunoby furnished 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Isaiah Hartenstein totaled 14 points, four rebounds and one assist.
Joel Embiid paced the 76ers with 50 points, supplementing them with eight rebounds, four assists and one block. Tyrese Maxey supplied 25 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals. Kelly Oubre recorded 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Cameron Payne netted 11 points.
The two teams reconvene at Wells Fargo Center for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
