Knicks take 2-0 lead vs 76ers

The Knicks are up 2-0, but this one looked nothing like the opener. Game 1 was a demolition. Game 2 was a grind — tied up in the fourth, full of lead changes, and close enough that one clean run decided everything. New York got that run, won 108-102 on Wednesday, May 6, and now heads to Philadelphia with control of the series. (nba.com) ### Why did this game feel so different? Because Philadelphia actually m(nba.com)n’t get blown off the floor early. They kept the score tight through three quarters, and the game had 25 lead changes. That matters because it showed this wasn’t just another Knicks avalanche — New York had to execute late. (nba.com) ### What swung it in the fourth? The cold spell. Ph(nba.com)nearly six minutes without a basket late. New York answered with a 9-0 run in the fourth to turn a toss-up into a real edge. That’s basically the whole game — two teams hanging around each other until one stopped scoring entirely. (nba.com) ### Who carried New York? Jalen Brunson was the stabilizer again. (nba.com)ds. The broader point is that New York didn’t need one superhero night. Its main scorers stacked enough good possessions, and the Knicks’ “big three” combined for 70 points. In a tight playoff game, that balance matters more than one huge box-score line. (nba.com) ### Did Philadelphia have e(nba.com) 23 shots and also had 6 turnovers. The Sixers actually shot well enough from 3 — 13-for-34 — but they lost the turnover battle 18-13 and gave New York 23 points off those mistakes. That’s the catch with a short-handed team: you can survive some misses, but empty possessions and giveaways are harder to outrun. (espn.com) ### How muc(nba.com)lose. Joel Embiid was sidelined for Game 2 with ankle and hip injuries, and without him Philadelphia had less margin for error at both ends. The Sixers still competed, but late-game offense got narrower, and New York could lean harder into Towns inside. When the final minutes turn into a possession game, missing your biggest two-way player changes everything. (nba.com)cally — but 2-0 is real pressure. The series now moves to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday, May 8. The Sixers at least got what they needed from Game 2 emotionally: proof they can keep it close. But proof is not a win, and now they need four victories in five games against a Knicks team that has already shown it can win big and win ugly. (nba.com) ### What does New York actually (nba.com)s already own the scoreboard, but they also own the shape of the series. They’ve shown they can blow Philadelphia out, and they’ve shown they can survive a tight one. That gives them multiple ways to win from here. ### Bottom line Game 2 mattered because it tested a different version of the Knicks. They passed. Now Philadelphia has to change the series at home — fast.