By: Kylan Watson

After falling to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced thew New York Knicks for the final time this season. The Knicks were able to dominate Philly from start to finish of this contest beating them 105-91. Extending their losing streak to nine games.

The Sixers found their offense early and often in this game and were able to keep this game competitive early in the contest. Quentin Grimes (26 points) and Ricky Council IV (15 points) combined for 41 of Philly’s 91 points and New York really had no answers for what they were doing.

Grimes was able to tear through the Knicks defensive scheme and get whatever he wanted from the floor. When this season is over the Sixers front office needs to back up the brinks truck to keep Grimes in Philly. He can be their starting shooting guard or sixth man off the bench. He is a tough-minded player and that’s the type of asset the Sixers need more of on their roster. In a season that has been very dismal he has been one of the few bright spots since they acquired him in February.

Despite the scoring explosion from Grimes and Council IV the Knicks were able to dominate the Sixers in this game. OG Anunoby (27 points) and Laundry Shamet (20 points) combined for 47 of the Knicks’ 105 points and the Sixers had no answers for them. Shamet in particular killed Philly throughout this contest with his three-pointers. He made six/11 of his three-point attempts, and it did not matter if a hand was in his face or not. The shot found the bottom of the net. Their increased defensive focus on him opened the door for Anunoby to attack the basket and create high-percentage shooting opportunities for his teammates. The Sixers defense in this game once again left a lot to be desired and even severely undermanned they must stay connected on the defensive end.

Philly was able to go on a run late in the third quarter to cut New York’s lead to eight points, but they kept turning the ball over and the Knicks were able to score points off those turnovers. The Sixers have not been able to get out of their own way and it has cost them numerous games this season. As the season ends, they will need to find players who value the ball and know how to make safe passes even against aggressive teams.

The Sixers will now prepare to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, this is another chance for Philly to make a statement against a playoff team. They will need to limit their turnovers, cash in on the high-percentage shooting opportunities created off their ball movement, and make sure the Bucks are taking well contested shots when they have the ball. Implementing this into their game plan on Thursday night should put them in great shape to win their 24^th game of the season and end their nine-game losing streak.