Jalen Brunson had 31 points and added six assists to help the New York Knicks hold on for a 112-109 victory over the host Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Joel Embiid was nearly unstoppable for the 76ers with a game-high 38 points.
The Knicks outscored the Sixers 30-13 in the third quarter
Brunson missed two free throws in the waning seconds, but Embiid had the ball stolen away before Philadelphia could even attempt to tie the game.
It was the Knicks’ second consecutive win after losing 9 of 11, constituting their first winning streak in 2026. The 76ers went just 2-4 on their season-long six-game homestand.
Embiid had 15 points in the first quarter and 28 in the first half as Philadelphia took a 64-60 lead at the break. He shot 83.3% (10 for 12) from the field in the opening 24 minutes. Paul George scored all nine of his points in the second quarter for Philadelphia.
New York took control of the game in the third quarter on a 15-0 run and led by 13 going into the fourth quarter. Brunson, who had 14 in the first quarter, made three 3-pointers in the third while Mitchell Robinson scored all six of his points in the pivotal quarter.
Robinson had 10 rebounds in the game as the Knicks dominated the boards. They outrebounded Philadelphia, 53-37, and had 26 second-chance points to the Sixers’ four.
Embiid sat out the entire quarter, and it took a while for him to get back in the groove when he returned in the fourth. However, his presence helped spark Philadelphia on a 12-0 run midway through the fourth quarter and get the team within two after a VJ Edgecombe 3-pointer with 1:33 to play.
OG Anunoby, who went 10 for 15 from the field and finished with 23 points and seven rebounds, followed with a 3-pointer, and Landry Shamet added a trey of his own to put the Knicks back up by eight.
The Sixers got back within three on a Tyrese Maxey layup, but could not get any closer. Maxey, who averaged 33 points in two Sixers wins over New York earlier this season, had 22 points and six assists.
Josh Hart had 10 points and 13 rebounds and keyed New York’s second-chance dominance. Shamet added 12 points, and Karl-Anthony had 10 points and six rebounds before fouling out midway through the fourth.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14 points and seven rebounds for the 76ers, while Edgecombe had 14 points.
