By: Kylan Watson

After breaking through and finally beating the New York Knicks in game three. The Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks faced off again in game four of their first-round matchup. The Sixers dominated the majority of this game. However, Jalen Brunson dropped 47 points to pull his team over the hump 97-92. With the win New York now takes the commanding three-games-to-one game lead over the Sixers.

Philly found their offensive rhythm early in this contest. They made the high-percentage shots off their ball movement and the Knicks were down by double digits at the end of the first quarter. Joel Embiid (27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had six assists) and Tyrese Maxey (23 points) dominated this game once again, combining for 40 of Philly’s 92 points. Both players dominated their matchups and created high-percentage opportunities in this contest. Philly dominated the majority of this game, but then they started turning the ball over. They did it five times and the third quarter and that erased a 10-point lead. Philly gave New York way too many opportunities to take this game away from them and they did.

Jalen Brunson in particular saved this game for the Knicks. The Sixers were able to keep everybody else in check. Their inability to stop Brunson though was their undoing. He scored 19 of his 47 points in the third quarter. He refused to let his team go down in this game. All credit to him because he is the main reason the Knicks were able to pull it out. It did not matter if there were hands in his face or if the shot was wide open. It found the bottom of the net.

If the Sixers want to have a chance on Tuesday, they have to figure out a better way of keeping Brunson in check. Or hold the Knicks to one possession by grabbing rebounds. For example, in the fourth quarter the Sixers could not grab an offensive rebound. On one possession they got Brunson to miss the shot and gave up two offensive rebounds to keep the New York possession alive. That drive ended with the Sixers getting the ball back when it bounced out of play. However, the Sixers need to find that team that kept the Knicks off the board in game three and bring them to New York on Tuesday.

Despite giving up all of those offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter the Sixers still had multiple chances to win this game. However, they could not hit shots when it mattered. The Sixers only made about five shots in the fourth quarter and none in the last five minutes of the game. Embiid played the entirety of the fourth quarter. He kept them together on the defensive end producing pivotal blocks and a steal. However, he could not hit shots in the fourth quarter. He was clearly tired and playing him that entire quarter stalled Philly’s offense. They could not get any movement on the offensive side, and they started forcing everything through Embiid and Maxey. That power outage and lack of rebounds cost them this game. The Sixers will now have to beat the Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

With this series shifting back to New York, Nick Nurse has to do something to get a spark out of the second unit. Mo Bamba has not seen much time in this playoff series. He should get a look he matches up better against a taller Knicks line-up. Additionally, the one thing everybody knows he can do is grab rebounds. Philly has to grab rebounds and win the non-Embiid minutes if they want to keep their playoff dreams alive. If they bring another sorry effort on the boards, they will be going home on Tuesday. Win the battle of the boards and the non-Embiid minutes they can stave off elimination and win a game in MSG this postseason.