NBA Fans Stunned as Knicks Steal Game 2 Win vs. Joel Embiid, 76ers with Late Rally
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacek
Featured Columnist IVApril 23, 2024
Madison Square Garden may not stop shaking until Tuesday.
Just when it looked like the New York Knicks were going to let home-court advantage in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers slip through their fingers, they went on an incredible 8-0 run in the final 30 seconds of Monday's Game 2 to walk away with a 104-101 victory and 2-0 series lead.
Jalen Brunson hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two points, Josh Hart forced a turnover and Donte DiVincenzo drilled a go-ahead three with 13 seconds remaining after a chaotic sequence. From there, Isaiah Hartenstein swatted Tyrese Maxey's shot, OG Anunoby hit two clutch free throws and Joel Embiid's potential game-tying triple didn't fall at the buzzer.
Social media had no shortage of reactions to the finish, including from Knicks star Josh Hart:
Dan Devine @YourManDevineJalen Brunson got one of the friendliest shooters bounces of all time; the Knicks stole the inbounds pass; Donte DiVincenzo missed a 3; Isaiah Hartenstein rebounded it; Donte DiVincenzo made a 3; the Knicks lead by one; press row LITERALLY SHAKING from people jumping, stomping
It was fitting that the final sequence included contributions from Hart, DiVincenzo, Hartenstein, Anunoby and Brunson, as all five Knicks starters scored in double figures. Brunson led the way with 24 points, although he was an ugly 8-of-29 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep.
Hart (21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two steals) and DiVincenzo (19 points) spearheaded the effort for extended stretches and combined for eight three-pointers. They also provided the type of contributions from the supporting cast that was nowhere to be found for the 76ers.
While Embiid (34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists) and Maxey (35 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds) played well, nobody else on Philadelphia scored more than 10 points. That proved to be the difference in the loss.
It is a testament to Embiid and Maxey that they played at such a high level since there were health concerns for both going into Monday's game. Embiid temporarily exited Game 1 after he tossed an alley-oop to himself off the backboard and landed awkwardly, while Maxey missed shootaround with an illness, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Yet they wasted no time announcing their presence as Maxey scored the game's first nine points and Philadelphia jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half.
Still, the energy belonged to New York for much of the second half. Hart caught fire from deep, battled on the boards and hounded the 76ers' ball-handlers, Hartenstein found his scoring touch in the lane, and DiVincenzo drew charges and hit critical three-pointers.
It helped the Knicks survive Brunson's poor shooting performance and kept the 76ers largely at bay even while Embiid was unstoppable at times.
However, it seemed like the 76ers were still going to steal the win when Maxey hit a shot to tie it, connected on a pullup to take the lead and then extended the advantage to four with a deep triple with just more than one minute remaining.
But all that did was set the stage for New York's dramatic finish.