Off the heels of three straight losses to the Nets, Grizzlies, and Pelicans, the Philadelphia 76ers traveled up to New York, desperate to stop the bleeding. The Sixers would once again be without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and De’Anthony Melton but would push ahead regardless as they faced a Knicks team that was also feeling their fair share of absences.
Sixers vs. Knicks recap
If I had to pick a word to describe this game, it would be a slog. This game was hard, drawn-out work, not just for the players but for the fans watching at home. From the jump, it was clear that this would not be an offensive spectacle.
The thrilling first quarter ended with just 30 points between the two Eastern Conference hopefuls in the form of a 15-15 tie. As sloppy as the Knicks were (seven first-quarter turnovers), the Sixers also deserve a fair amount of credit for their defensive effort in this game (four forced first-quarter turnovers).
Come the second quarter, things began to pick up, at least for the Sixers, as Kelly Oubre began to find his shot, scoring 12 of the team’s 22 points in the quarter. Paul Reed also enjoyed himself a strong quarter, playing some of the best defense the Sixers have seen without Joel Embiid and even hitting an in-rhythm triple.
At the half, the Sixers would lead the Knicks by a score of 37-31.
The third quarter would be the most exciting for fans of scoring as it was the only quarter in which the two teams combined for more than 50(!) points. The Sixers went over three minutes at one point without scoring a single point, but two Buddy Hield threes in the second half of the quarter helped Philadelphia maintain their lead.
With one quarter to go, Philadelphia was up by eight, 63-56.
Once again, the word of the day is slog. The fourth quarter dragged on as both sides continued to show signs of exhaustion, from rushed shots to lazy passes. Both teams were looking to end this game, hoping their team would be on the winning end.
Physicality began to pick up as both teams fought tenaciously to hold on and improve their standings in the Eastern Conference. That physicality erupted over the halfway point in the fourth as Kelly Oubre and Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo found themselves wrapped in an altercation that resulted in three technical fouls.
No love lost between rivals
At roughly the four-minute mark, Donte DiVincenzo found himself under the rim, looking to shoot. Meanwhile, one of his defenders, Oubre, attempted to swat the ball from behind but instead missed, hitting DiVincenzo in the head. The blow frustrated DiVincenzo, so he decided the best course of action was to attempt to wrap and tackle Oubre at the knees, not once but twice.
Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein further escalated the situation, pushing Oubre while DiVincenzo had his legs locked, leading to Oubre’s fall. By the time the theatrics had ended, DiVincenzo, Hartenstein, and, shockingly, Paul Reed had all picked up technical fouls.
It was not quite the outcome many expected, considering the events that had transpired, but perhaps the game was too interesting to disrupt. Either way, should a player ever attempt to wrap tackle another player at the knees again, the expectation would be that the offending player would be ejected.
Back to the final minutes
In those final four minutes, the Sixers and Knicks would score a combined 19 points, which accounted for roughly 58 percent of the scoring in the quarter. A second triple by Paul Reed and a quick three from former Villanova Wildcat Kyle Lowry sealed a victory for Philadelphia by a final score of 79-73.
