The New York Knicks stole home-court advantage in their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers with a thrilling 104-101 victory in Game 2 on Monday night.
Trailing by five points with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Knicks mounted a stunning rally to take the win. Jalen Brunson, who had struggled throughout the night, hit a crucial 3-pointer to cut the lead to 101-99. Josh Hart then stole the ball from Tyrese Maxey, giving the Knicks a chance to tie the game.
DiVincenzo missed a 3-pointer, but Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed the rebound and found DiVincenzo for another attempt. This time, DiVincenzo drained the shot to put the Knicks up 102-101 with just seconds remaining.
Hartenstein then blocked Maxey’s drive to the basket, and OG Anunoby made two free throws to extend the lead to 104-101. The Knicks’ defense held strong, and Joel Embiid’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer fell short.
Brunson finished the game with 24 points, despite shooting just 8-for-29 from the field. Hart had 21 points and 15 rebounds, while DiVincenzo added 19 points. Maxey led the 76ers with 35 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Knicks’ late-game heroics.
The Knicks will now head to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4, with a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
