New York pulled out a tough 111-104 win Sunday (PHL), beating the no. 7 Philadelphia 76ers for an early lead in the Eastern Conference side of the bracket.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart scored 22 apiece to lead the Knicks, who won a Game 1 at home for the first time in four tries.
Hart also had a game-high 13 rebounds, again personifying the Knicks’ overall toughness.
BIG SHOT. JOSH HART 👌 pic.twitter.com/U0R1baxNdO
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 21, 2024
As surprise help, Miles McBride added 21 points for New York off the bench, including 13 in the second quarter where he outscored the 76ers by himself.
After that horror second quarter, Philadelphia recovered with a 36-21 third quarter, taking the lead into the final 12 minutes.
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 33 points, while reigning MVP Joel Embiid added 29 for the 76ers.
In the other East playoff game of the day, the no. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers beat the no. 5 Orlando Magic in a relatively low-scoring affair, 97-83.
BANG. @spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/Wv92z2hlFg
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 20, 2024
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points for Cleveland, while Jarret Allen had a strong 16 points and 18 rebounds as the Cavs start these year’s Playoffs strong.
Paolo Banchero finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in his postseason debut for the Magic.
