NEW YORK — Kelly Oubre Jr. gave the Philadelphia 76ers a massive boost just when they needed it. His dominant performance wasn’t enough to lift the Sixers ahead of the New York Knicks but he played a big part in one of the team's most promising recent performances.

Oubre ended the 110-105 defeat with 27 points, five rebounds and three steals on a red-hot 9-14 shooting, including 19 in the first half. Always one to play confidently and energetically, he lit the Knicks up — and he wasn’t afraid to say so.

“I just didn’t feel like anybody could guard me out there, respectfully,” he said after the game. “At the end of the day, man, just being aggressive, attacking. I’m gonna play defense as hard as I possibly can but when I can put that force on the offensive end as well, I think that that’s who I am as a basketball player: a two-way player.

“I was just trying to show that and especially [because] I was in The Garden,” Oubre continued. “I was trying to put on a show for the fans and also just help my team win.”

Before the game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau called Oubre one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He backed it up in a major way.

Kelly Oubre Jr. posts dominant performance in 76ers' loss to Knicks

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Although Tyrese Maxey and Paul George rebounded to take care of things from there, leading a strong comeback effort in the second half after they both played poorly to begin the game, Oubre playing so well in the first half made it a game. If not for him, New York would have run away with a resounding win and not needed to sweat it out down the stretch.

Madison Square Garden gave Oubre and the 76ers lots of motivation. Oubre spoke previously about his love for MSG and went out and showed it in Philly's near-comeback.

“That was one of those things where it kind of boosted us to make sure that we have fun,” he said. “We go out there and we try to put on a show, which I think collectively as a unit we did. There were possessions where we're not perfect but at the end of the day, man, we still had the next-play mindset and we just got out and ran and everybody touched [the ball] and we have fun together.”

As the Sixers try to climb out of the 20-38 hole they’ve dug themselves, they’re going to hope Oubre can keep producing at a high level.