Knicks take 2-0 East semifinal lead after Game 2 win over 76ers

The Knicks won again, but this one looked nothing like Game 1. Instead of another blowout, New York had to grind through a tense, messy, back-and-forth game and then close it late. That matters more than the score alone. A team that can win big is dangerous — a team that can also win ugly usually has real playoff teeth. ### Why did this game feel so different? Game 1 was a demolition. Game 2 was basically a street fight with better spacing. Philadelphia, even without Joel Embiid, kept getting back into the game, and neither side could create real separation — the largest lead was just seven points. That forced the Knicks to play a half-court, late-possession kind of game instead of the avalanche they rode two nights earlier. ### What actually won it for New York? The fourth quarter. The Knicks outscored the 76ers 19-12 in the final period, and that was the whole story. New York didn’t suddenly explode on offense — it just defended better, got cleaner possessions, and made the small plays that decide playoff games when everyone is tired and the floor shrinks. ### How good was Jalen Brunson? He wasn’t nuclear. He was in-control, which was probably more important. Brunson finished with 26 points and helped settle the game when it started tilting into chaos. In a matchup with 25 lead changes and 14 ties, having one guard who can slow everything down and still get to his spots is a huge advantage. ### Was this just Brunson, though? No — and that’s the encouraging part for New York. The Knicks got enough help to avoid the “one star, everyone watch” problem that can wreck playoff offenses. Sporting News summed it up neatly: Brunson and OG Anunoby combined for 50 points. That kind of support matters because it keeps Philadelphia from loading every possession toward one creator. ### What did Embiid’s absence change? It changed the shape of the game more than the competitiveness of it. Philadelphia still fought, but without Embiid the 76ers had less margin for error around the rim, less bailout offense, and “good enough to win” are not the same thing. ### Why does 2-0 matter so much here? Because the series is shifting to Philadelphia with all the pressure on the 76ers. New York already showed two versions of itself — the runaway team from Game 1 and the grind-it-out team from Game 2. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is down 0-2 and still dealing with the Embiid question. That makes Game 3 feel less like a normal home game and more like the hinge of the whole matchup. ### Is there one stat that captures the night? The 25 lead changes probably does it. That number tells you this was not a game New York coasted through. ESPN noted it was the most in a playoff game in 11 years. So the Knicks didn’t just protect home court — they passed a different test, the one where the game gets weird and tight and nobody can breathe. # Bottom line The Knicks are up 2-0 because they’ve already shown they can beat Philadelphia in more than one way. Blowouts are fun, but this kind of win usually says more.