Jalen Brunson spearheaded a late surge as the New York Knicks edged a razor-tight NBA playoff clash against the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series on Wednesday.
Having been thrashed in game one, the underdog Sixers were without star man Joel Embiid, who was ruled out with multiple injuries just hours before tip-off.
But they put up a much fiercer fight at Madison Square, in a game featuring 25 lead changes -- the most for a playoff game in 13 years -- before the Knicks pulled decisively clear in the final minutes.
Brunson's clutch play -- including eight fourth-quarter points -- ensured victory, with the Knicks talisman joint top-scoring on 26 points.
"It's a playoff basketball game. You know, the game was ugly offensively," said Knicks coach Mike Brown.
"You give the Sixers a lot of credit. We knew that they were going to come out, they were gonna be physical."
The Sixers started brightly, taking a seven-point lead five minutes into the game that would prove to be the largest of the night.
In Embiid's absence, Tyrese Maxey stepped up with 15 points in the second quarter alone, as Philadelphia eked out a single-point half-time lead. Veteran Paul George was deadly from range, with five three-pointers.
But the Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns came alive after the break, scoring 20 points plus 10 rebounds and seven assists, while OG Anunoby went 9-of-17 from the field for his 24 points.
With the scores level 99-99 and five minutes to go, Brunson applied the pressure just as the Sixers ran out of steam, losing their shooting touch.
Two Brunson field goals gave New York a four-point lead -- their biggest of the night to that point -- before Mikal Bridges' step-back shot made it a 9-0 run and a six-point lead.
Maxey made a late driving layup -- finishing with 26 points -- but it was not enough to close the gap.
"We played good enough defense to win that game, especially in the fourth," said Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse, who bemoaned his team's ability to score late in the game.
"We played great offense. We just didn't shot-make."
The absence of Embiid, the 2023 league Most Valuable Player, ultimately told for the Sixers, who now face a steep uphill battle to reach the next round.
Embiid had been a key figure in the Sixers' upset of second-seeded Boston in the previous round, averaging 28 points in four games as the Sixers recovered from a 3-1 deficit.
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But he was ruled unable to play due to right hip soreness and a right ankle sprain, leaving the Sixers sweating on his fitness for Friday, when the series continues in Philadelphia.