Fresh off the All-Star break, the New York Knicks (34-22) got back to work ending their four-game slide, defeating the wounded Philadelphia 76ers 110-96.
The usual suspect thrived for the Knicks, with Jalen Brunson, who, fresh off his first all-star appearance, dropped 21 points and 12 assists; however, the new Knick paved the way for the team during Thursday's win.
Bojan Bogdanovic went off, dropping 22 points off the bench, having his best performance as a Knick thus far.
Josh Hart chipped in with 18 points and 12 rebounds. As well as Donte DiVincenzo helped light the scoreboard up for the Knicks by posting 16 points; and Precious Achiuwa was solid, posting a double-double with 18 and 11.
The Sixers, without reigning league MVP Joel Embiid, couldn't get much going in the matchup and allowed the Knicks to take a 26-point lead by halftime, with Bohdonovic dropping 19 of his 22 in the first half.
Despite the Knick's offense falling off in the second half, New York did enough to defeat the Sixers on the road.
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New York Knicks: Walking Wounded
After firing on all cylinders in January, the Knicks slowed down in February due to multiple injuries to core players on the roster.
"We're understaffed right now. Our starting frontcourt is not there, so we know we have to play hard as hell," Thibodeau said, per the New York Post. "We know if we do that we'll have a chance to win."
The Knicks have been without Julius Randle, OG Annuoby, and Mitchell Robinson. All without a return date. Isiah Haretenstein, who has been playing on a minutes restriction, has also been dealing with a nagging Achilles injury.
Even with injuries, head coach Tom Thiheadoau made it clear that the following 27 games left on the season are vital to keep the team in playoff contention.
"There's 27 games left, so we can't keep kicking it down the road," he stated.
Josh Hart also clarified how pivotal it was for the Knicks to finish strong.
"These next 27 games, this is really when it really starts, really begins," Hart said.
New York Knicks: Tough Road Ahead
Last night's win in Philly was a significant momentum win for the Knicks, who have a challenging schedule ahead despite a couple home games in the mix.
Saturday, the Knicks welcome the number one-seeded Boston Celtics to MSG, a matchup test for the Knicks to measure how they stack up against the best in the East.
Following that game, the Knicks have a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons and the New Orleans Pelicans, who are finding their footing in the Western Conference.
Then Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will invade the Garden for a Thursday night prime-time matchup against the Knicks.
Following the Warriors, a game in Cleveland against the second-seeded Cavaliers and then returning to the Garden to face up against notable Knicks killer Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
The Knicks are currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, they would look to finish the season strong as we move towards the postseason.
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