The Sixers couldn’t quite close out a comeback win over the Knicks on Wednesday night.
Although they made a highly spirited second-half push and sent the game to overtime, the Sixers ultimately suffered a 125-119 loss.
Tyrese Maxey recorded 33 points, six assists and six rebounds. Paul George tallied 26 points, six assists and three steals.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson had 38 points and Mikal Bridges added 23 for the Knicks, who moved to 27-15. Josh Hart notched a triple-double with 10 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
While the Sixers got two players back who’d missed their loss Tuesday to the Thunder in George and Maxey, they still had six players out:
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns missed Wednesday’s game with a sprained right thumb.
The 15-24 Sixers will kick off a three-game road trip Saturday night against the Pacers. Here are observations on their OT defeat to the Knicks:
The sizable contingent of Knicks fans in the building enjoyed New York taking a quick 6-0 lead on three-pointers by Bridges and OG Anunoby. They were also loud late in the first quarter when Miles “Deuce” McBride swished a jumper and put the Knicks up double digits.
Maxey was off the floor by that point after being whistled for two early fouls.
That didn’t help the Sixers’ offense, although the team had a tough time scoring both with and without Maxey in the first half. They posted just five points over the first five minutes and went 2 for 15 from three-point range over the first two quarters.
Meanwhile, Bridges knocked down four long-distance shots in the first half and burned the Sixers several times with sharp cutting. The Knicks were the superior team in transition, regularly finding hit-ahead passes and forcing the Sixers’ defense on its heels.
In contrast to the Sixers, the Knicks began 9 for 13 from three-point range. Former Sixers guard Cam Payne drained two in the second quarter and a corner jumper from Bridges extended New York’s lead to 41-25.
Justin Edwards was first off the Sixers’ bench following his 25-point performance vs. OKC. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse also turned to Jeff Dowtin Jr., Adem Bona and Ricky Council IV.
Bona had a few positive moments in the first half but looked like a still-developing rookie in the second. As always, he truly sprinted up and down the court and focused on defense and rebounding. He was good on the offensive glass, converting a put-back layup early in the second quarter and grabbing three offensive boards overall.
Bona replaced Guerschon Yabusele around the midpoint of the second quarter because of an injury concern. Yabusele was slow to get up after fouling McBride and hitting the floor hard. He walked to the bench with a slight limp.
A few minutes later, Yabusele was back in the action. He’s done a ton for the perpetually shorthanded Sixers — starter, bench player, power forward, center — and remained the team’s one player to appear in every game.
The Sixers played a strong third quarter and their shooting fortunes dramatically improved.
Kelly Oubre Jr., Maxey and Eric Gordon all hit threes early in the third quarter. After a cold start to his Sixers tenure, Gordon’s shot very well lately — 15 of his last 25 from three-point range.
The ball stopped bouncing the Knicks’ way as much and the Sixers did their part, playing with greater pace and energy. George made a mid-range jumper and a leaner late in the third quarter. Dowtin then beat the buzzer with a deep, unintended banked-in three that tied the game at 85 apiece.
Edwards featured for the Sixers in the fourth quarter and finished with 35 minutes. He’s guarded a gauntlet of stars recently, including Brunson on Wednesday night. Edwards conceded some buckets and let Brunson get to his favored left hand for a fourth-quarter floater, but he was certainly game.
The Kentucky product stepped up offensively in the fourth period, too. He followed a Brunson mid-range hoop by sinking a three that knotted the score at 102-all.
The Knicks won a couple of crucial loose balls late in the fourth and seemed on the verge of victory when Anunoby drilled a three to give them a five-point edge.
However, the Sixers forced the Knicks to execute in the final seconds and New York again coughed its lead up. Thanks to a Knicks turnover, the Sixers got the ball with a shade over seven seconds left and a two-point deficit. Maxey sped into the paint and had his layup goaltended by Precious Achiuwa.
Anunoby then missed a jumper that Edwards tightly contested, sending the night to an extra session.
The Knicks didn’t open overtime like a team deflated by the need to play five more minutes. They scored the first eight points of OT with an Anunoby dunk, a Brunson jumper and three Brunson free throws after George fouled him on a long-range attempt. Maxey couldn’t conjure up the points to match, missing a difficult scoop shot and having a layup rejected by Achiuwa.
Even after all their work to make the Knicks sweat, the bottom line is the Sixers are on a four-game losing and sit at nine games under .500.
