All-Star guard Jalen Brunson entered the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Sunday for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the 76ers with the hopes of restoring the New York Knicks two-game lead in the matchup.
The 27-year-old did just that and more, as he led New York to a 97-92 win over the Sixers, putting up a playoff career-high 47 points to go along with four rebounds and 10 assists, to ensure they left Philadelphia with a 3-1 lead in the series.
Brunson’s performance was not just an individual milestone, as he also broke the record for the highest points scored by a Knicks player in the playoffs, surpassing the 46 points scored by Bernard King in 1984.
He shot 18-of-34 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line as he got really loud MVP chants from the Knicks fans that made their way into the Sixers arena.
“The Philadelphia fanbase is, I said this before, they’re very relentless and very passionate. I mean, I’m an Eagles fan, I would know,” Brunson said. “But seeing the Knicks here and hearing the Knicks here, it was pretty cool and it’s awesome.”
History was made 🚨 pic.twitter.com/9vU9F8c5Tm
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 28, 2024
The Knicks put up an excellent defensive clinic as they kept Philadelphia to 35.4% from the field as a team. They had more blocks (11-5), and they also outrebounded the 76ers 52-42, with a 15-9 differential on offensive boards, which provided them with a 21-8 advantage on second-chance points.
New York didn’t have a spectacular shooting night from beyond the arc as they shot 25.9%, but they focused on crashing the paint, and it paid off as they led 44-32 for points inside the paint.
OG Anunoby, who had to guard Joel Embiid for some part of the fourth quarter, had 16 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks for the Knicks. Josh Hart had 4 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks, while Miles McBride finished with 13 points and three 3s.
3-1 lead 😤 pic.twitter.com/Uk4mYx8hm8
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 28, 2024
The Sixers, who committed too many fouls (24) and shot the ball poorly, were led by reigning league MVP Embiid, who played the whole second half. Although he finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and two blocks, he was unable to score a single point in the fourth quarter.
“Your competitive nature is always going to take over and I felt like they always come back in the game in this series,” Embiid said. “So I was like, I’ve got nothing to lose, just going to push myself and obviously it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to.”
Tyrese Maxey finished with 23 points, six assists, and six rebounds; Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points, and Tobias Harris added 10 points, while they only got six points from four bench players.
The series will return to the iconic Madison Square Garden for Game 5, where the Sixers will hope to nick a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the Knicks will be looking to put the series to bed in front of their home crowd and progress to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second season in a row.
