REALITY CHECK
Brutal loss to star-less 76ers a smack in face for Knicks
That was a tough loss to swallow — a reality check for your beloved New York Knicks.
A Philadelphia 76ers team even more depleted than the Knicks posted an all-time defensive showcase in a win at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
The Sixers held the Knicks to just 73 points.
Some notes about the number 73: l It’s fewer points than the Knicks have allowed in a game since 2012.
l It’s the fewest points the Knicks have scored since 2018.
l It’s the fewest points any team has scored this season.
l No NBA team has scored fewer points since March 13, 2018.
The Sixers clamped the Knicks without their MVP center Joel Embiid (meniscus).
They outscored the Knicks without All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey (concussion protocol).
And they tied the Knicks in 3-pointers made with nine, despite 10 fewer attempts and missing two perimeter rotation players in Deanthony Melton and Robert Covington.
The Sixers lost 15 of their last 28 games before securing the 79-73 victory at the Garden.
And even though the Knicks were shorthanded — without their entire starting front court in OG Anunoby (right elbow surgery), Julius Randle (dislocated right shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle surgery) — Philadelphia was equally, if not more, depleted in Game 3 of the season series.
Tuesday will mark Game 4 between the Eastern Conference divisional rivals.
As of Monday afternoon, the Knicks remained the fourth seed in the East, but the sixth-seeded Sixers were only a game behind them and a half-game behind the Orlando Magic.
Only two games separate New York from the No. 8 seed Miami Heat.
Which means a Knicks-Sixers first-round playoff series is on the table, and after losing their first two games against New York by a 50 combined points, Philadelphia suddenly has confidence against a potential playoff opponent.
That was the vibe their players gave in the locker room after stringing together a much-needed win.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse reminded his players how lopsided the first two games were on Sunday morning before tipoff.
“They kicked our a– twice. And they were very, very physical. They went at us. They really went at us. We never responded,” veteran Sixers guard Nicolas Batum said postgame. “That was coach’s message this morning. ‘What are you gonna do about it though? They came to our house and punked us, twice.’ We had to respond at least.”
And now it’s the Knicks’ turn.
It’s the Knicks’ turn to respond with a performance more in line with how they’ve played even without Anunoby, Randle and — to a lesser extent — Robinson since Jan. 27.
The Knicks are 8-10 since both starting forwards left the rotation due to injury but were forced to concede a handful of games entering the All-Star break, when injuries to the fill-in starters ravaged the rotation.
The Sixers believe their ability to use size and wingspan to defend the point of attack gives them an edge defending All-Star guard Jalen Brunson. Nurse’s coaching chops are an added bonus.
Brunson scored 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting in the first game between the teams on Jan. 5, but shot 5-of-18 from the field and turned the ball over seven times for 21 points and 12 assists in the Knicks’ 110-96 victory on Feb. 22.
In Sunday’s stinker, he took the blame upon himself: 6-of-22 from the field, 1-of-9 from downtown and just 19 points in one of the Knicks’ worst offensive performances this century.
“I played like dog s–t,” Brunson said after the game. “That’s it.”
The Sixers have full respect for Brunson’s scoring abilities.
Philadelphia’s Kyle Lowry called Brunson an All-NBA guard who’ll dominate the league for years to come. Lowry said the Sixers know the first-time Knicks All-Star can turn a game, specifically in the fourth quarter.
Wingspan and athleticism defending the point of attack, as well as being able to switch screens with similarly-profiling forwards, gave Philadelphia an edge.
Kelly Oubre Jr., for example, served as Brunson’s primary defender. The Knicks’ AllStar shot just 2-of-10 from the field in possessions when defended by Oubre on Sunday.
“JB’s a tough guard. It’s hard to guard him,” the Sixers forward said postgame. “But at the end of the day, I was glued on him all night. Guys, we were on a string on defense. Boxes and elbows. We followed through with the game plan very nicely and it showed.”
Which makes for one hell of an encore coming to the Garden on Tuesday.
Embiid isn’t returning to the rotation for the Sixers just yet, and neither is Randle for the Knicks for some time — but Oubre suggested Maxey, who is averaging 26 points per game this season, will clear concussion protocol in time to return to the lineup for the season series finale.
Anunoby’s return date is nearing, too, though Tom Thibodeau wouldn’t say the forward is cleared to return as of practice in Tarrytown on Monday morning.
The Knicks are far better than the product they put on display at MSG on Sunday.
The loss to the Sixers, however, underscores a trend for a playoff-bound team struggling against quality opponents.
The Knicks are now 14-24 against teams with winning records, having padded their record by beating up on lottery-bound opponents.
The competition only stiffens from here on out, with the playoffs just shy of a month away.
Nine of the Knicks’ final 18 games are against teams with records .500 or better.
Neither the Sixers nor the Knicks are sniffing an even record with their stars out — but Philly was even more depleted than New York.
That’s why Sunday’s loss is both a tough pill to swallow and a reality check for a Knicks team needing to secure a win in the season finale.
Not only for morale purposes, but to hold the tiebreaker and secure homecourt advantage, just in case these two teams meet as a four-five matchup in the first round the playoffs.