PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, OG Anunoby added 23 and the New York Knicks followed their most lopsided win in franchise history with a 112-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
The Knicks crushed the Nets 120-66 on Wednesday and then exploded with a 30-point third quarter in a stiffer road test that sent them to their first win in three tries this season over the 76ers.
Joel Embiid had 38 points and 11 rebounds, but turned the ball over on the final play of the game after the Knicks seemingly tried to intentionally foul him. Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points for the Sixers but shot an airball on a late tying 3-point attempt from near halfcourt as he anticipated an intentional foul that didn’t come.
The 76ers had pulled within two late until Anunoby and Landry Shamet followed with consecutive 3s that helped the Knicks stave off the late-game collapse.
Led by Brunson, the Knicks opened the quarter on a 21-7 run and made Philly sound a bit like the inside of Madison Square Garden. The “Let’s go Knicks!” chants that had largely been tamped down by boos in a competitive first half, instead filled the arena with each big Knicks bucket.
Brunson gave a little wave after he buried a 3 for an 84-72 lead. Embiid tried to rally the Sixers and his three-point play in the fourth — aided by a sixth foul on Karl-AnthonyTowns — cut it to 98-92.
It wasn’t enough and a Knicks team that had lost nine of its previous 11 games heading into the Nets game has now won two straight. Modest, yes, but good enough to ensure the Sixers didn’t gain ground on them in the East standings.
Embiid played a season-high 46 minutes in an overtime win over Houston on Thursday and followed with 28 points on 10-of-12 shooing in the first half Saturday.
He never looked more like his old self this season than when he barreled down the lane and hammered a one-handed dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Embiid has scored at least 30 points in four straight games and has reached 20 in a season-high 16 straight games.
Up next
Knicks: Host Sacramento on Tuesday.
76ers: Visit Charlotte on Monday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
