3 days ago
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The Knicks hit first in their second round series with the Philadelphia 76ers, taking Game 1 in a 137-98 rout.
Everything was working well for New York, who built a 23-point advantage at halftime and led by as many as 40 points. The Knicks shot a scintillating 19-for-37 (51.3 percent) from three and had 34 assists in the win.
With Game 2 on Wednesday, there is no rest for the weary. Here’s three keys to watch for...
On a heater
Jalen Brunsonmust be relieved. After a first-round series where he was pestered by Atlanta Hawks guards Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Brunson is facing less pressure from the 76ers.
Brunson was dynamic in Game 1, registering 35 points, with 27 coming in the first half. He was also efficient, shooting 12-for-18 from the field.
It was clear that Philadelphia’s softer defensive coverage allowed Brunson to cook. Centers Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond are positioned in drop coverage, where they sag back into the paint. It gave Brunson a free runway to pull up from the three-point line or in the midrange.
Atlanta switched many of its defensive actions, which gave Brunson fewer windows to attack in the pick-and-roll. With the 76ers, Brunson should be more comfortable.
The next question will be how Philadelphia will adjust for Game 2 after Brunson’s hot night. They could blitz the pick-and-roll to get the ball out of Brunson’s hands or switch more often. But the Knicks look prepared to answer any adjustments.
Foul trouble
It didn’t take long for fouls to be a story in the series. Karl-Anthony Townspicked up two fouls just over five minutes into the game. His backup, Mitchell Robinson, quickly followed suit with two fouls in the first quarter.
May 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the first quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Both centers had three fouls in the first half, eventually leading to third-string big Ariel Hukporti seeing real rotation minutes. Fouls are going to happen in this series, since Embiid is a crafty big with a variety of pump fakes and tricks to draw fouls. But it’s the silly mistakes that the Knicks bigs should focus on excusing from the game. For example, Towns swiped at the ball numerous times in the first quarter. While one of those reaches did lead to a steal, it put Towns in a compromising position.
He’s too valuable in multiple aspects of the game, as evidenced by his 17 points, six rebounds and six assists on Monday night.
New York as a whole committed 25 fouls and allowed 34 free-throw attempts -- a high number. The foul trouble didn’t decide Game 1, but it could be a pivotal factor for Game 2.
Defensive aggression
Despite the numerous fouls, the Knicks' defense was otherwise exceptional. Priorities number one and two involved slowing down Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. New York was successful in keeping both stars in check, holding them to a combined 27 points on 6-for-20 shooting from the field.
Embiid was able to draw fouls in the first half, but New York kept him out of the paint for much of the game, occasionally throwing double teams at the former MVP. Maxey was defended by Mikal Bridges for most of the night, and Bridges and the Knicks did a solid job containing the point guard on the pick-and-roll.
The Knicks had active hands, forcing Philadelphia into 19 turnovers. Several of the Sixers' miscues were live ball turnovers, which allowed New York to get easy runouts. The Knicks had 16 fastbreak points.
New York has dominated the last four games, and while the offense has received a lot of the credit, the defense has been elite. If the Knicks keep defending this way, the team’s playoff ceiling changes drastically.
