Knicks 111, 76ers 99: “joeL”

Desire > hope

If you wanna know the story of last night’s 111-99 Knicks win over the 76ers, just look to the picture atop this article. The differences there were the differences in the game.

A seemingly off-balance Jalen Brunson is taking a shot, one Joel Embiid is making sure to be clear he isn’t contesting. Is Brunson off-balance, though? Impossible to tell whether he just lost it or found it. Last night, and more than once this season, it’s felt that way with him, even if the numbers don’t add up to that. Example: his shot chart from the win in Philadelphia is not Springfield-bound.

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But the shot chart doesn’t tell you Brunson missed all five of his first quarter attempts before making 50% from then on out. He committed six turnovers, but none in a final frame where he led all scorers with 10 and helped convert a close game to a comfortable win.

For all the talk of Brunson’s struggles — understandable as he adjusts to two new starters; exacerbated after he twisted his ankle to open the second half and missed eight minutes getting it treated — even with his rough shooting last night he’s at 47% from the field; last year he shot 48%. His 3-point marksmanship after last night’s donut is 38%; a year ago it was 40%. And despite all the giveaways in Philly, Brunson’s averaging about three assists for every turnover, in line with his prior Knick seasons. If you saw Jesus performing miracle after miracle and then stub his toe a few times, maybe you’d wonder if the magic was still there.

Karl-Anthony Towns has only been a Knick for six weeks. There’s still work to do figuring out the defense with him centering it and developing his two-man game with Brunson into a championship-level hub. One aspect of KAT’s game that’s been a pleasant surprise has been his passing. An over-the-back-of-his-head dime got the most oohs and ahhs, but the patience and precision of this pass from under the basket out to Hart for three is better than any Daniel Jones or “Actually” Rodgers have thrown for the Giants and Jets.

On a night the Knicks were again bested from beyond the arc (+15 for Philly), the hidden figure behind their win was their 57% mark and +36 advantage between the paint and the 3-point line — OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, from the range called mid, are anything but. Look at that smile.

The Sixers were rumored to be hot and heavy for Anunoby if he’d flirted with teams in free agency; this game made clear why. RJ Barrett had 10 dunks in nearly 800 minutes with New York a year ago; OG had seven last night alone. The greater spacing with Towns in tow has opened an eight-lane superhighway of luxury for all his cuts and off-ball shenanigans, but this was a game for the full Anunoby experience, when a man playing alongside Brunson and Towns can look like the best player on the team. OG contested more 3-pointers (10) than the entire Sixers team (8) and 17 shots overall, nearly triple as many as the next-highest player for either team contested, Jericho Sims.

Like Brunson in the image, the Knicks are still trying to find their feet. For a team that’s played seven of its first 10 on the road — seven against playoff teams from last year, including four against the other Eastern semifinalists — the defense is still the footing that’s unsure, though holding the Sixers under 100 points on 37% from the field and 33% from deep offers at least a hint of traction. The offense continuing to roll, even on a night Brunson wasn’t BRUNSON!, gives hope they’re closer to apex than endangered.

The three Sixers in the picture above form a triptych, a visual trio. At its center is Embiid, resembling Pontius Pilate washing his hands of whatever comes of Brunson’s Hail Mary. Pilate became infamous for rejecting all accountability. Embiid, who hasn’t played a minute since last year’s playoffs against New York, was clearly rusty and not in game shape after missing the entire preseason and opening weeks of the season, his body winded, his shot off. He contested fewer shots than Kelly Oubre.

Yet even after the 76ers were fined for “inconsistent” messaging regarding Embiid’s health — after everyone in Philadelphia from Daryl Morey to Nick Nurse to Embiid to William Penn agreed the plan going forward was prioritizing Embiid’s health for the playoffs first and foremost; after the team sat him for a nationally televised opener — asked by a reporter if he expects to play tonight when the undefeated Cavs come to town, Embiid said he wants to, he feels good and it’s “up to [the team]” — one month after saying he didn’t expect to play anymore back-to-backs for the rest of his career.

Imagine it’s 2030. The Knicks never reached the conference finals, not in this entire decade. Pretend Brunson is still here, though on the back nine of his career, struggling to stay healthy. Imagine that year the Knicks signed Jaylen Brown, then 34, to a max deal despite his own injury woes. Imagine wondering all those years if Brunson cared more about accolades and awards than titles. Imagine him still not seeming to “get it,” even after all that time. Imagine no more. You’re a 2024 76ers fan.

Whether New York wins a ‘chip this decade or not, rooting for a team that consolidated a contender about as quickly as possible is worth a hip-hip-hooray. Two years ago the Knicks started Alec Burks, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. You’ve come a long way, baby.

The Sixers? They’re still where they were when the Process first started: praying the best-laid plans don’t go awry. Like sandwiching their selection of Embiid in 2014 with centers the year before (Nerlens Noel) and after (Jahlil Okafor) because the math told them to. Like paying Tobias Harris but not Jimmy Butler. Like thinking it wise to hitch their wagon to two stars with injury histories longer than Moby Dick: the past five years, Paul George missed a third of the Clippers’ contests; since being drafted 10 years ago, Embiid’s missed 46% of the 76ers’.

The same franchise that told its fans to hope for the best while the team pissed away five years of trying now tells those fans to hope against the probabilities of health and aging. The Process now a procession of prayers and lucky rabbits’ feet? The Sixer temple once again become the Keystone Mecca? Quoth foiegrastyle: “joeL.”