Knicks take 2-0 lead vs 76ers

The Knicks have real control of this series now. New York beat Philadelphia 108-102 in Game 2 on May 6 at Madison Square Garden, and that 2-0 edge matters because playoff series get brutally hard to flip once the higher seed protects home court. This wasn’t another blowout like Game 1, either. It was the tighter, more revealing kind of win — the kind where a team has to survive bad stretches, execute late, and still find a closing run when the game keeps wobbling. (nba.com) ### What actually changed in Game 2? The score stayed close almost the whole night. There were 25 lead changes, which tells you this wasn’t New York coasting on talent or crowd energy. The Knicks had to grind through a game that kept slipping back to even, then they found a late 9-0 burst in the fourth quarter that finally ga(nba.com) a 108-102 win. (nba.com) ### Why does the late run matter so much? Because late-game shotmaking is usually the thing that decides playoff rounds between teams that know each other well. In a regular-season game, a bad two-minute stretch is annoying. In May, it can tilt an entire series. New York’s closing push showed the Knicks can win two ways — by (nba.com)ne-possession fight and landing the last punch. (nba.com) ### Who has been driving this for New York? Jalen Brunson is still the headline scorer in the series, averaging 30.5 points through two games. But the useful detail is that New York’s “big three” combined for 70 points in Game 2, so this hasn’t been a one-man rescue act. Karl-Anthony Towns was good enough to get the league’s (nba.com)he broader point — the Knicks have multiple ways to create offense when Philadelphia loads up on Brunson. (nba.com) ### What’s gone wrong for Philadelphia? The biggest problem is that the Sixers have spent two games reacting instead of dictating. Philadelphia lost Game 1 by 39, then came back with a much sharper effort in Game 2 and still left down 0-2. Joel Embiid was listed as sidelined for Game 2 with ankle and hip issues, and that chan(nba.com)r biggest interior force, every Knicks run gets harder to stop and every Maxey-led answer has to be nearly perfect. (nba.com) ### Is 2-0 really that serious? Yes — especially because New York was the No. 3 seed, went 53-29 in the regular season, and has already handled its first-round business against Atlanta. A 2-0 lead doesn’t end a series, but it shifts the burden completely. The Knicks only need to split on the road to stay in command. The Sixer(nba.com)on immediately. (sportingnews.com) ### What happens next? Game 3 is Friday, May 8, in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET, with Game 4 there on Sunday, May 10. That’s the hinge of the series now. If the Sixers win Game 3, this becomes a live fight again. If the Knicks take it, the matchup starts to look less like a rivalry and more like a closing argument. (nba.com) ### Bottom line? New York didn’t just hold serve. The Knicks proved they can win the ugly version too — and that’s usually the sign a team is built for a long run. (nba.com)