Sixers Outlast the Knicks in a Thrilling Overtime Win
A win is a win, and the 76ers got an ugly one on the second night of a back to back, beating the Knicks in New York last night 101-100. A wild back and forth lasted throughout the end of the fourth quarter and into overtime, from crazy multi-bounce shots falling, to Danny Green contested step back jumpers. This game was strange but entertaining and the Sixers were able to pull out a vital win to kick-off a brutal six game road trip.
With the win, the Sixers are now the first team in the Eastern Conference to reach the 30 wins on the season. They improve to 30-12 on the season, have won eight of their last ten games, and currently have a one game lead on the Brooklyn Nets. As Daryl Morey pointed out prior to the last meeting between these two teams, the 90’s would love this matchup, it was a heavyweight fight that took an extra round to decide the winner, and the Ben Simmons streak against the Knicks lives on.
Unlike the last game the Sixers played against the Knicks, Tobias Harris struggled from the field, hitting only five of his 18 shots, and unfortunately missed consecutive free throws at the end of regulation that allowed New York to tie the game with five seconds remaining in the game. Even in the midst of a tough night, Harris was still able to contribute with 20 points and two steals, and also drilled a timely three pointer in overtime to help give the Sixers the edge late in the game.
The true hero of overtime was Danny Green who made back to back ridiculous, out of rhythm deep balls that got the Sixers back in the game after a rough stretch to open the overtime period. Though he only finished with 11 points, he shot 3/5 from beyond the arc and was a major reason for the Sixers win.
Shake Milton was a massive help to the victory, scoring 21 points on 15 shots, and looked like he got his swagger back offensively, flashing his skills in a variety of ways. Ben Simmons scored 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but had some turnover issues including a brutal mishap at the end of regulation which took away any chance the Sixers had of winning the game as time expired.
The Knicks were led by Julius Randle, who scored 24 points and made a late contested three that tied the ballgame. Former and future Sixer Alec Burks was a pain for the Sixers defense in this one, dropping 20 points and was the driving force in the Knicks offensive game down the stretch.
The Sixers will now face the Warriors tomorrow night, the Lakers on Thursday, the Clippers on Saturday, the Nuggets next Tuesday, and the Cavs on April 1st before returning home to Philadelphia.
Mandatory Credit: David Dow/NBAE | Getty Images
