Overview
- The Knicks, who rolled Monday in Game 1, beat the 76ers 137-98 as Jalen Brunson scored 35 on 12-for-18 shooting with 8-for-8 at the line.
- Philadelphia rotated Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes onto Brunson, yet none slowed his drives, footwork or pull-up threes.
- After the loss, Oubre said Brunson’s “big head” and braids make him hard to guard and added that Brunson “came out and started the series.”
- Knicks guard Josh Hart replied that he has never seen Brunson’s braids bother defenders and joked he might copy the look to get more buckets.
- Game 2 is Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, leaving the 76ers a short window to adjust coverages and matchups to keep the series from slipping.