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Knicks Take 3-0 Lead Over 76ers With 109-94 Game 3 Victory
Jalen Brunson scored 33 points and the Knicks pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat the 76ers 109-94 on Friday night in Philadelphia, taking a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Mikal Bridges added 23 points while Joel Embiid had 18 in his return from injury for Philadelphia. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday in Philadelphia.
The Boston GlobeAudio version
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Jalen Brunson scored 33 points and sealed the victory with key baskets in the final quarter to lead the Knicks to a 109-94 win over the 76ers on Friday night in Philadelphia. The result put the Knicks ahead 3-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 4 is set for Sunday in Philadelphia.
The Knicks turned a four-point lead in the fourth into a double-digit victory as several players with ties to a local university took control. One added 23 points while another contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds. The team has the option to bring back a key forward averaging 21.4 postseason points but kept him sidelined with a strained right hamstring; he remains day to day.
The 76ers mounted a late challenge in front of a split crowd that included many visiting fans who filled sections of the arena despite local ticket restrictions. One player hit his first two three-pointers of the game early in the fourth to cut the deficit to four points.
The home team could not sustain the rally, however, as the visitors responded with a 9-0 run that included a three-pointer from the top of the arc. Joel Embiid returned after missing the previous game with a sprained right ankle and sore right hip, finishing with 18 points.
Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 22 points and another guard added 17. The 76ers had rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the first round after Embiid's recovery from an appendectomy but now face the task of winning four consecutive games against the Knicks.
The Knicks built momentum in the fourth quarter after the 76ers trimmed the lead to 88-84. Consecutive baskets pushed the advantage to eight points before the decisive three-pointer extended it to nine during a 9-0 spurt. Visiting fans in the arena cheered loudly throughout the closing minutes as the lead grew.
Embiid had urged local fans before the series not to sell tickets to out-of-town supporters. "Don’t sell your tickets," Embiid said ahead of the series. "This is bigger than you. " Despite his plea, thousands of opposing fans created a divided atmosphere with chants, cheers and boos on nearly every possession.
