PHILADELPHIA — Closing out their six-game homestand, the Sixers faced off against the New York Knicks ahead of what some are expecting to be the storm of the decade.
Coming into the night 2-3 over the first five games of this stint at home, the Sixers were searching for an opportunity to even things up on their own court.
Philadelphia responded well to an early flurry of jabs by the Knicks to eventually even up the score after one. A slight lead in the second gave Philadelphia the advantage at the half, but the team's arch-enemy this season, the third quarter, would soon torment the Sixers once again, forcing them to play catch-up in the fourth quarter.
To Philadelphia's credit, they managed to do just that, but a failure to execute in the final moments of the game would cost the Sixers any chance at salvaging this game, and they would ultimately fall by a final score of 112-109.
Joel Embiid had a highly positive game, scoring 38 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out five assists. His third-quarter struggles gave some concern, but his ability to bounce back in the fourth gave enough reassurance that it was nothing more than a momentary struggle.
Nick Nurse, very quickly, substituted Justin Edwards into the game in an effort to either hack Mitchell Robinson or force his removal, which is what ultimately happened.
A smart chess-like move, as Robinson was a strong part of thwarting the Sixers' best efforts throughout the night.
The Knicks were the hungrier team coming into the game. New York may have been dominant in their most recent game against the Brooklyn Nets, but had also fallen to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, being passed by the Toronto Raptors.
A balanced scoring attack led the charge for the Knicks, who were more physical from the jump, cheered on by what sounded like a NY crowd. The stadium was short of total attendance ahead of the incoming snowstorm, but Knicks fans still turned out in large numbers, giving New York a rare home atmosphere on the road.
Karl Anthony-Towns did what he could offensively in the first quarter, taking advantage of the matchup against the smaller Paul George.
As the game progressed, the Knicks found their rhythm, a combination of Brunson's long-range bombs and second-chance points thanks to a relentless attack on the boards by nearly the entire team.
While Embiid came out of the game firing on all cylinders, he slowed down tremendously in the second half, particularly in the third quarter, when the Knicks outscored the Sixers 30-13. That, along with execution failures in the final minutes of the game, made the difference in this matchup.
The Sixers particularly struggled from deep, hindering their many attempts to catch up throughout the game.
The Sixers will take a flight down to Charlotte tonight as they prepare for a Monday matchup against the Hornets, the first of a back-to-back that will end in Milwaukee.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST as the Sixers look to get right in a matchup between two of the league's top rookies.
