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03/05/2024 05:42

It wasn’t always pretty. In fact, it was rarely pretty. But that’s what New York Knicks basketball does best.

After holding on for a tight 118-115 win on Thursday, the Knicks managed to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers and move on to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Early on, it looked like this close-out game was going to be a wash, as New York jumped out to a 36-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, a sloppy second frame brought Philadelphia right back into it, outscoring the Knicks 32-15 in the quarter to give them a three-point lead going into the half.

The first-round duel was a tight one for the rest of the way, with lead changes happening seemingly every couple of possessions. The Knicks just happened to call the right side of the coin flip, coming away with the win in the dying seconds.

All-star guard Jalen Brunson led the way for New York, as he’s done much of this series, scoring 41 points while dishing out 12 assists. He joined Jamal Murray as the only active players to score 40+ points in three-straight playoff games.

Josh Hart scored 16 and nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining.

The 76ers, meanwhile, got a vintage Joel Embiid performance, as the MVP centre bounced back from a poor Game 5 to score 39 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Philadelphia’s bench also stepped up in a big way as Nic Batum scored 16 and Buddy Hield finally came to life, scoring 20 of his own. But it was just a little too late.

New York will now advance to the second round for the second-straight year for the first time since their 1998 and 1999 playoff runs.

They’ll take on the six-seed Indiana Pacers who advanced after beating the Milwaukee Bucks in six games earlier on Thursday.

More to come.