Knicks take 3-0 lead, win 108-94

The Knicks are one win from ending this series, and they got there in a very Knicks way — absorb the first punch, grind the game into their shape, then let Jalen Brunson close it. New York beat Philadelphia 108-94 on Friday night in Game 3, taking a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Brunson scored 33, Mikal Bridges added 23, and the game swung when the Knicks turned a shaky first quarter into total control by halftime. ### How did this one flip? Philadelphia actually opened well. The 76ers led 31-21 after the first quarter and looked like the team playing with desperation. But the second quarter changed everything. New York won it 33-21, tightened up defensively, and started getting cleaner shots in the half court. By halftime, a 10-point deficit had become a 60-52 Knicks lead. (msn.com) ### Why was Brunson the center of it again? Because this is what he does when games get heavy. Brunson finished with 33 points and nine assists, and the important part wasn’t just the total. It was the timing. Every time Philadelphia hinted at a push in the second half, Brunson got to his spots, slowed the game down, and made the next possession feel expensive for the Sixers. Late buckets from him basically shut the door. (nba.com) ### What did Bridges add? Shot-making on the wing, basically. Bridges scored 23 on efficient shooting, which mattered because it kept the Knicks from becoming too Brunson-dependent. When New York has a second perimeter scorer who can punish switches and hit spot-up threes, the whole offense looks less fragile. That was the version the 76ers saw Friday night. (msn.com) ### Where did the Knicks really win it? On the glass and in the math. New York outrebounded Philadelphia 49-33, with Josh Hart putting up 12 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. The Knicks also got to the line far more often — 32 free-throw attempts to Philadelphia’s 16. That kind of edge does two things at once: it creates easy points and it keeps the other team from running. (nytimes.com) ### What went wrong for Philadelphia? The 76ers were decent from the field overall, but not good enough from deep and not nearly sturdy enough defensively once the game settled. They shot 9-for-32 from 3 and got outrebounded badly. Their top scorers were spread out — 22 for one starter, 18, 17, 15, and 11 for the others — but none of it ever turned into a sustained avalanche. That’s the problem with facing this Knicks team: if you don’t break them early, they keep hanging around until they own the tempo. (espn.com) ### Why does 3-0 feel so final? Because in NBA history, it usually is. A 3-0 lead is less “advantage” than “near-verdict.” The Knicks don’t need to solve the series anymore. They just need one clean night. Philadelphia, meanwhile, now has to win four straight against a team that looks calmer, deeper in the right moments, and more reliable late in games. That’s an awful equation. (espn.com) ### So what should you watch in Game 4? Whether the 76ers can force chaos. That means faster pace, better 3-point volume, and a game that doesn’t become a Brunson pick-and-roll clinic in the fourth quarter. If it stays in the half court, the Knicks have the edge. If Philadelphia can turn it messy early, maybe the series gets extended. But right now this matchup looks like New York has all the answers. (espn.com) The bottom line is simple — the Knicks didn’t just win Game 3, they made the series feel decided. One more win, and this becomes a sweep. (nba.com) (espn.com)