The Knicks did not welcome Philadelphia to the second round. They ran it out of the building.
New York opened the series with a 137-98 demolition of the 76ers at Madison Square Garden, turning Game 1 into a reminder that playoff momentum can disappear quickly when it meets a team with fresh legs and a hot building. Philadelphia arrived with the glow of its Game 7 win in Boston. The Knicks answered with 48 minutes of pressure, pace and punishment.
Jalen Brunson controlled the night with 35 points on 12-for-18 shooting. OG Anunoby was nearly perfect, scoring 18 on 7-for-8 from the field, while Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 17. The Knicks did not need one miracle performance. They needed a collective squeeze, and Philadelphia cracked early.
The Sixers looked like a team still carrying the weight of the previous round. Joel Embiid scored 14 points in 24 minutes, Tyrese Maxey had 13, and Paul George led Philadelphia with 17, but the game never felt like theirs. New York won every quarter and stretched the lead until the final minutes became administrative.
This was only Game 1, but it was not a gentle one. The Knicks made the first statement of the series loudly enough for Philadelphia to hear it all the way back down the Turnpike.
