May 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) drives against Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) during the second quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jalen Brunson delivered 33 points to power the visiting New York Knicks past the Philadelphia 76ers 108-94 on Friday, moving them within one win of sweeping the Eastern Conference second-round playoff series.
Mikal Bridges contributed 23 points, while Landry Shamet added 15 on 5-of-6 shooting for New York. Playing without OG Anunoby (hamstring), the Knicks still executed crucial plays down the stretch to secure the commanding 3-0 lead.
The third-seeded Knicks can close out the best-of-seven series when they face the 76ers in Game 4 on Sunday in Philadelphia.
Kelly Oubre Jr. led the seventh-seeded Sixers with 22 points. Tyrese Maxey added 17 on 8-of-12 shooting, while Paul George scored 15 in the first quarter but was held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Philadelphia welcomed Joel Embiid back after he missed Game 3 with hip and ankle injuries. Embiid posted 18 points and blocked three shots but grabbed just six rebounds as the Sixers were outrebounded 49-33.
New York led by 11 early in the fourth quarter before Quentin Grimes hit two 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 88-84. However, the Knicks’ trio of former Villanova players responded with key baskets. Josh Hart converted a layup, Bridges sank a jumper, and Brunson buried a 3-pointer to push the lead to 95-86. Brunson added two more buckets, and Bridges finished a transition layup to extend the margin to 105-89 with 3:46 remaining.
George shot 6 of 9 in the opening quarter, helping the Sixers lead 31-27 after 12 minutes. The second quarter told a different story, as New York outscored Philadelphia 33-21. Brunson and Bridges each scored 10 points in the period, with the Knicks shooting 57.1% to take a 60-52 halftime lead.
Early in the third quarter, the Sixers rallied from an 11-point deficit and closed to within 78-76 on Embiid’s bucket with 2:28 left. But New York dominated from there. Mitchell Robinson, a poor free-throw shooter intentionally fouled by the Sixers multiple times in the quarter, made 2 of 2 from the line. Brunson followed with two free throws, and Shamet drained a 3-pointer to send New York into the fourth quarter with an 85-76 advantage.
