On January 16th, as Beijing time quietly passed, the Knicks embarked on their journey to challenge the 76ers away from home. In this game, both sides experienced the absence of star players. Towns was forced to sit out due to a finger injury, while Embiid remained sidelined with a high-hanging "no battle" sign. However, George and Maxi did welcome their return to action. As soon as the game began, the Knicks showed a momentum of being the hosts, especially beyond the three-point line, where they were hot-handed and accurate, quickly putting the 76ers on the defensive and forcing them to struggle to catch up. Thus, at the end of the first half, the scoreboard clearly showed that the 76ers trailed the Knicks by 13 points with a score of 47 to 60. In the second half, the 76ers, playing at home, finally showed signs of revival on the offensive end. George was like a sharp blade, scoring 11 points in a single quarter; Maxi was even more fierce, racking up 13 points in a single quarter. Moreover, the role players on the team also performed exceptionally well. Take Jeff - Duding for example, who hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer at a critical moment, igniting the atmosphere of the entire arena. In this way, both sides fought fiercely, eventually tying the score at 85 to 85, entering the decisive fourth quarter together.
In the final quarter of the game, the Knicks were in high spirits, scoring seven points in a row to take the lead. Faced with such a situation, the 76ers did not slack off and continued to chase with all their might. At this point, role player Edwards stepped up, his performance was remarkable, he successively hit two three-pointers, scoring 8 points in a single quarter, successfully extending the suspense of the game for the 76ers. And at the most crucial moment, Maxi took the initiative without hesitation. He first completed an impressive 2+1 with extremely challenging moves. Then, in the last attack, he accelerated towards the basket as if stepping on the wheels of wind and fire, successfully scoring a layup and leveling the score. Afterwards, Anunoby attempted a three-pointer but unfortunately missed, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, Brunson stood out with his performance, completely dominating the rhythm of the game. He first hit a key three-pointer, then used his excellent individual ability to earn five free throw opportunities and made them all, thus helping the team establish a clear lead. On the other hand, the 76ers struggled as Maxi and George failed to make any significant contributions on the offensive end, making it difficult to close the gap. Ultimately, the 76ers lost the game at home with a score of 119-125, narrowly missing the opportunity to win a comeback victory and could only watch helplessly as the Knicks took the win.
The Knicks' players had various outstanding performances in this game. Brunson's shooting accuracy was remarkable, hitting 14 out of 22 attempts, including 3 out of 6 three-pointers. With such efficient offensive play, he scored 38 points and contributed 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, with a plus-minus of +7, almost reaching perfection. However, even with such excellent performance, there were some flaws. In the final moments of the game, whenever he had the ball, he faced double-team defense from the opponent, which greatly hindered his offense. Moreover, during these critical moments, he made more turnovers than usual, somewhat affecting the team's situation in the final stages. It is worth noting that he played the full 46 minutes in this game, demonstrating his importance to the team and the coach's trust in him.
Bridges also had a commendable performance in this game, attempting 19 shots and making 9, with particularly outstanding three-point shooting, hitting 5 out of 10 attempts. With such excellent play, he successfully scored 23 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, and dished out 2 assists. Moreover, his plus-minus in this game reached +3, and he once again experienced a game with over 40 minutes of playing time and a score over 20 points, which seemed to have become a norm for him.
Hart's performance in this game was remarkable. He attempted 9 shots and made 4, although his three-point shooting was slightly lacking, with no hits in 3 attempts. Even so, he still managed to score 10 points, grab an impressive 17 rebounds, dish out 12 assists, and contribute 4 steals, with a plus-minus of +10, fully demonstrating his positive impact on the team. Moreover, he played a full 49 minutes, remaining energetic even in overtime, as if he had endless energy. When Brunson faced double-teaming from the opponent, Hart became the first point of contact, always appearing in time to resolve crises, truly becoming a perfect piece of the championship puzzle, playing an extremely important role in the team's championship journey.
In this game, Anunoby performed outstandingly, scoring 17 points. Meanwhile, McBride also had a commendable performance, scoring 13 points. Additionally, Achiuwa made contributions on the court, scoring 10 points.
Maxi's performance in this game was a mixed bag. He attempted a total of 32 shots, making 13, with only 2 out of 9 three-pointers, ultimately scoring 33 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, dishing out 6 assists, and contributing 1 steal and 1 block. His plus-minus was -9, reflecting some situations in the game. In the first half, Maxi's shooting was indeed poor, with many attempts failing to find the mark, making the team's offense somewhat laborious. However, in the second half, he burst onto the scene like a different person, scoring 25 points alone in the second half, riding the momentum to save the team at a critical moment in the game, turning the tide and allowing the team to continue battling with the opponents on the court. Unfortunately, in the subsequent overtime, despite Maxi's best efforts, he was unable to turn the tide, and the team ultimately failed to win the game. Moreover, Maxi has certain shortcomings; his relatively small and thin physique makes his efficiency in finishing attacks after breaking through to the restricted area not very high. However, it is worth praising that Maxi has a strong heart; the more critical the moment in the game, the more resolute and fearless he is when shooting, giving him a unique brilliance on the court.
George's performance in this game was also a mixed bag. He made 9 out of 20 attempts, including 3 out of 8 three-pointers, ultimately scoring 26 points, with 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, with a plus-minus of +4. At the beginning of the game, George gradually accumulated points through free throws; in the third quarter, he even had a brief burst of explosive play, providing some assistance to the team. However, in the crucial fourth quarter, George scored zero points, failing to deliver when the team needed him most, missing both of his attempts, which was truly regrettable. Even in overtime, George failed to fully demonstrate his value, only hitting a three-pointer that had little impact on the game. It must be said that George's state of decline this season is quite obvious; compared to the past, his performance on the court has indeed been significantly reduced. Taking this game as an example, although it was a relatively decent performance compared to his other games this season, if George continues to maintain such a low state, it will be big trouble for the 76ers, and whether the team can smoothly enter the playoffs becomes a big question mark. As a result, the team's decision to sign George with a hefty sum in the summer may really become a laughingstock in the eyes of many.