On January 16th, Beijing time, the Knicks visited the 76ers. Both teams had star players missing this game. Towns sat out due to a finger injury, and Embiid continued to be sidelined. George and Maxi returned to action. At the start of the game, the Knicks took control as visitors, with their three-point shooting on fire, while the 76ers struggled to catch up. The first half ended with the 76ers trailing 47-60, 13 points behind. In the second half, the 76ers, playing at home, showed signs of recovery on the offensive end. George scored 11 points in a single quarter, and Maxi added 13 points. The role players also performed well, with Jeff Doughty hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer. The two teams fought to an 85-85 draw heading into the final quarter.
In the decisive fourth quarter, the Knicks scored seven consecutive points to take the lead, and the 76ers continued to fight back fiercely. Role player Edwards hit two three-pointers and scored 8 points in the quarter, helping the 76ers maintain the suspense of the game. In the crucial moments, Maxi stepped up, first completing a difficult 2+1 play, and then scoring a layup on the last attack to level the score. Anunoby missed a three-pointer, and the game went into overtime. In overtime, Brunson dominated the game, scoring a three-pointer and five free throws to help his team establish a lead. At this point, Maxi and George were unable to score, and the 76ers eventually lost 119-125 at home to the Knicks, failing to stage a comeback.
Knicks Player Stats
Brunson: 14 of 22 shooting, 3 of 6 from three-point range, scoring 38 points with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, with a plus-minus of +7. His performance was nearly perfect, facing double teams every time he had the ball in the final moments. However, he had more turnovers in the closing stages, playing a full 46 minutes.
Bridges: 9 of 19 shooting, 5 of 10 from three-point range, scoring 23 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists, with a plus-minus of +3. It was another ordinary game with over 40 minutes of playing time and over 20 points scored.
Hart: 4 of 9 shooting, 0 of 3 from three-point range, scoring 10 points with 17 rebounds, 12 assists, and 4 steals, with a plus-minus of +10. He played 49 minutes and remained energetic in overtime, serving as the first outlet when Brunson was double-teamed, a perfect championship piece.
Anunoby scored 17 points, McBride 13 points, and Achiuwa 10 points.
76ers Player Performance
Maxi: 13 of 32 shooting, 2 of 9 from three-point range, scoring 33 points with 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, with a plus-minus of -9. He had poor shooting in the first half but exploded for 25 points in the second half, saving the team in the crucial moments. However, he was unable to turn the tide in overtime. Maxi is too short and thin, with low efficiency finishing at the rim, but he has a big heart and is unafraid in key moments.
George: 9 of 20 shooting, 3 of 8 from three-point range, scoring 26 points with 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, with a plus-minus of +4. He relied on free throws to continuously increase his score in the first quarter, had a brief burst in the third quarter, but scored no points in the fourth quarter. He missed both shots in the crucial moments and failed to show his worth in overtime, only hitting an inconsequential three-pointer. George's form has declined significantly this season, and this game was considered one of his better performances. If George continues to struggle like this, it will be problematic for the 76ers to even make the playoffs, making the team's heavy investment in George in the summer seem like a joke.