OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson lead shorthanded Knicks past 76ers, 105-91

The Knicks won for the fifth time in their last six games, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers, 105-91, on Tuesday night at The Garden.

Here are the key takeaways…

-The Knicks came into the game shorthanded in the backcourt, with Jalen Brunson, Cameron Payne, and Miles McBride all out, but they ended up being without a key piece up front as well, as Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out just before tip-off due to left knee soreness. Mitchell Robinson got the start at center, just his second of the season.

-Early on, it was aggressive play from Robinson and OG Anunoby that set the pace. Robinson caused his typical havoc on the glass, pulling in five rebounds and adding six points in his first seven minutes before getting a breather. Anunoby led the way offensively, attacking the rim early and often and stepping outside for a pair of threes as he scored 13 points in the quarter.

In the second, Robinson picked up a loose ball around midcourt, galloped down the court and threw it down, sending the Garden crowd into a frenzy. Robinson scored 14 points and added eight rebounds and a block in the first half.

Anunoby, who had a monster and-one slam early in the fourth quarter, would go on to lead the Knicks in scoring, finishing with 27 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Robinson, meanwhile, finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks in 21 minutes.

–Tom Thibodeau said before the game that he knew the Sixers — in the midst of a lost season and playing without stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey,and Paul George – would look to shoot a lot of threes, but it was the Knicks who gave them a taste of their own medicine in this one. As a team, the Knicks hit seven of their first 16 three-point attempts.

The Knicks led by 17 points at the half, but the Sixers clawed their way back in the third, as Quentin Grimes threw down a dunk to bring the Sixers within five. Mikal Bridges quickly answered with a three-pointer, which helped New York get back into rhythm, and Landry Shamet hit another from long range to push the lead back to double digits. By the midpoint of the fourth quarter, the Knicks’ lead had ballooned to 21 points, thanks in part to their prowess from beyond the arc.

Overall, the Knicks shot 38.7 percent (12-of-31) from three-point range, with Shamet going 6-of-9 from three, finishing with for 20 points.

-The Knicks were down to only Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek at the point guard spot, and Wright had a strong game, pushing the pace, driving the lane, and finding open teammates.

Wright finished with 12 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

Who was the game MVP?

The trio of Anunoby, Robinson, and Shamet combined to score 61 points, but we’ll give MVP honors to Anunoby.

Highlights

What’s next

The Knicks take on the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers in Cleveland for the second game of a back-to-back. Tip-off on Wednesday night is set for 7 PM.

Read the full article here