The New York Knicks dropped their third straight contest as the Philadelphia 76ers earned a 130-119 road win at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, and head coach Mike Brown did not mince words when all was said and done.
“We’re in an area that we’re not used to, where you’ve hit a little bit of adversity,” Brown told reporters after the game. “I’ve never been part of a team that has not gone through adversity throughout the course of the year, whether we won it at the end of the season, or we were in the Finals, or we had a halfway decent season. Every team is gonna hit it.”
“Now for us, it’s about: How do we respond? How do we come out of it? This is a great opportunity for us to see what we’re made of while we’re going through this stretch.”
The loss marked the Knicks’ third straight defeat, and only their fourth at home this season. Despite receiving 31 points from Jalen Brunson and 20 points from Miles McBride off the bench, New York was unable to match Philadelphia’s intensity on this particular occasion.
The Knicks struggled to stifle Philadelphia’s stars
The 76ers received stellar showings from Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and V.J. Edgecombe. The trio combined for 88 points, and each made impactful contributions. Maxey tallied 36 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Edgecombe put up 26 points, two rebounds, and four assists.
The most satisfied Philadelphia player might have been Embiid, who posted 26 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists against his former playoff nemesis.
“I love being here. It’s my favorite place in the entire world,” Embiid told Howie Kussoy of the New York Post. “It’s always good to be here, talk back to the fans. They were quiet today. I guess that’s what happens when you’re losing the whole game. I had fun going back and forth with them. Sometimes, it’s good to be liked. Sometimes, it’s good to be hated.”
The Knicks must become a more sound defensive unit
When asked about the team’s performance, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges offered a mature solution that might be easier to state than execute.
“I think just the effort. The initial effort might be there, but I think just making plays after. The second effort, I think, is not there,” Bridges told SNY after the contest.
The 76ers earned nine offensive rebounds, 54 points in the paint, and led for over 80 percent of the contest. The Knicks might have enjoyed prosperous stretches on offense, but they did not entirely stymie them at any point.
New York is now 23-12 on the season and will face the Detroit Pistons next on Monday. When asked how the group can recover and return to form, Brunson delivered a response that will likely excite fans and quiet doubters.
“Sticking together,” Brunson told Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “Not pointing fingers, not feeling sorry for ourselves or trying to find a quick solution instead of working through it for the long term. Just have each other’s backs, I think that’s most important.”
The Knicks have proven that they can be one of the NBA’s most dangerous teams at their best, but the ultimate test of their potential could be how they respond to one of the worst stretches of their season. While the current core has proven that it can compete once spring rolls around, there may be another level that they must reach before attaining the sport’s ultimate prize.
“Objectively, we need to just be more sound and have each other's backs,” Brunson told SNY after the game. “Things are not going to be perfect, but we've got to be able to have each other's backs when things break down.”
