Knicks 105, 76ers 91: “Happy bday big Mitch.”

A wire-to-wire win with stellar performances from OG Anunoby, Landry Shamet, and birthday boy Robinson.

The New York Knicks (48–27) came into tonight having won four of their last five and on pace to eclipse 50 wins. Heading in the other direction, the injury-depleted Philadelphia 76ers (23–53) had set a dubious record with 52 different starting lineups this season. Tonight’s assortment included journeyman Lonnie Walker IV and OAKAAKUYOAK Quentin Grimes. Would this ragtag bunch challenge a Knicks squad missing the injured Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns?

The Knicks surged to a 59–42 halftime lead behind suffocating defense, sharp shooting, and standout performances from OG Anunoby (18 points, 2 steals), Mitchell Robinson (14 points, 8 boards), and Delon Wright (10 points, +12). Philly shot just 38% with 14 turnovers in the half. They clawed back in the third, cutting the lead to five as Anunoby exited and the Knicks fumbled through turnovers. But Landry Shamet and Josh Hart steadied the ship with timely buckets and hustle, and when Anunoby returned to start the fourth, the Cheesesteaks were cooked. Final score: 105–91.

Quoth DLOBROWNOO: “Happy bday big Mitch.” Fitting that the team’s resident jester was born on April Fool’s Day. He celebrated with a 14–14 double-double, two blocks, a steal, and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. This is the Mitch we were promised—and he couldn’t have picked a better time to show up, with just seven games to go before the playoffs.

Once again, OG Anunoby was a beast on both ends. He led all scorers with 27 points, five rebounds, and two steals. The line is blemished by 2-of-9 from deep and six (!) turnovers, but even more than Mitch, he was the horse New York rode to victory.

And don’t miss this—season-high scoring from Landry Shamet, who swished six threes en route to 20 points off the bench. Easily his best performance of the year. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges added 14 apiece, with Bridges rebounding from a 1-of-11 first quarter to shoot 4-of-5 in the second half. Delon Wright was solid again, and suddenly, New York seems to have real depth at lead guard when everyone’s healthy. Rookie Tyler Kolek finished with seven points and seven rebounds, plus a +12 rating, though he looked a bit off (four turnovers, five fouls in 20 minutes).

With the result, Tom Thibodeau tied Pat Riley on the Knicks’ all-time wins list (223), New York swept the season series, and Philly dropped their ninth straight. For the Sixers, Grimes posted 26 points, five assists, four boards, and three steals—but got little help: Ricky Council IV chipped in 15, and Lonnie Walker IV added 11.

First Half

The Knicks opened with stingy D and hot shooting, racing to a 15–7 lead. Filling in for Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson dominated the paint, while OG Anunoby added a steal, free throws, and a corner three en route to 13 first-quarter points. Delon Wright continued his steady play, drilling a three and swiping a steal as the Sixers floundered.

Quentin Grimes, thriving in Philly (21.8/5/4.2 over 22 games), looked eager to prove himself against his former team. After a stiff start, he hit three straight buckets late to finish the quarter with eight.

Ten of the Knicks’ first 15 shots came from deep, and though Philly responded with a brief 7–0 burst sparked by Kyle Lowry, New York closed strong with a 6–0 run to take a 35–26 lead into the second.

Rookie Tyler Kolek took over at point guard but looked less sharp than usual, and hadhis hand examined later on the bench. Also off the bench, Precious Achiuwa brought the defensive energy, hounding Grimes into a bad miss to beat the shot clock.

What followed was an ugly stretch of basketball: nearly four scoreless minutes featuring just a dunk and a free throw. But the Knicks regrouped with an 11–6 push to stretch the lead to 17, while Philly couldn’t even crack 16 points in the quarter. At the half, New York led comfortably, 59–42.

Anunoby’s imitation of an octopus helped force 14 first-half Sixers turnovers, and he led the Knicks with 18 points. But the biggest surprises came from Robinson (14 points, 8 boards, a steal, a block, and 4-for-4 from the line!) and Wright (10 points, 3 assists, +12). Not so pretty—Bridges hitting 1-of-11 from the floor.

The pitiful Pillies shot just 38% from the field and 20% from three. Otherwise, the stats were close—New York led slightly on the glass (20–19), assists (11–9), and turnovers (10–14), while both teams were tied in paint points at 20. The Sixers might not be good, but they weren’t as far behind as the score suggested.

Second Half

Here’s a cleaned-up version with grammatical fixes while keeping your tone intact:

The smart move? Bury Philly and give the Knicks’ starters extra rest before the flight to Ohio. But what’s fun about doing the sensible thing? In the third, Philly outscored them 18–8 to slice the lead to seven with four-ish minutes to go. Making matters worse, OG Anunoby left during that unpleasant stretch to receive a thigh massage.

hen Kolek spilled his third (what?!) turnover of the night, Grimes cashed in a pick-six to cut the lead to five. With Anunoby sidelined and Bridges having an iffy night, our heroes needed a hero to rescue them. So how about some treys from Landry?

Thanks to Hart grabbing the loose ball and outracing the clock, New York escaped the quarter with 21 points and a 10-point lead.

To start the fourth, OG came back and set things straight, helping to extend the lead up to 18. The remnants of Philadelphia’s once-formidable roster fell further behind thanks to more Shamet swooshes, and Rick Brunson went to the storage closet to retrieve the broom.

Up Next

Our heroes jet to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score