Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ 108-102 Game 2 win over the 76ers on Monday night at the Garden.
Hero
With the game on the line, Jalen Brunson came through, shaking off an inefficient night up to that point. Brunson scored eight of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead jumper with 5:06 left, then pushed the lead to four with another midrange jumper. His streak of five consecutive playoff games with at least 35 points against the 76ers did come to an end.
Zero
Without Joel Embiid, the 76ers needed Tyrese Maxey at his best. He only gave them one strong half. The emerging young star was shut down after halftime by the Knicks, held to just seven points. He shot just 9-for-23 from the field and committed six turnovers.
Unsung hero
Once he was able to stay on the court, Karl-Anthony Towns made his presence felt. After logging just eight first-half minutes due to foul trouble, Towns made a major impact, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. The 76ers, minus Embiid, couldn’t guard him.
Key stat
21: The 76ers’ field goal percentage in the fourth quarter, when they managed just 12 points.
