Knicks finally unlock form in fourth quarter in NBA Cup win over 76ers

On By Littum

PHILADELPHIA — With a spirited effort from their frontcourt, the Knicks turned around their fourth-quarter woes and beat the Sixers on Tuesday night, 111-99.

The Knicks overwhelmingly won the final 12 minutes as Tom Thibodeau opened his rotation and Karl-Anthony Towns played longtime nemesis Joel Embiid.

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and provided the highlight, a soaring dunk early in the fourth quarter that deflated the Philly crowd and energized the traveling Knicks fans.

Jalen Brunson, who scored 18 points, goes up for a shot as Paul George defends during the Knicks’ 111-99 win over the 76ers in the NBA Cup opener for both teams. AP

Josh Hart finished the night with a triple-double and an argument that talk of the team’s demise was greatly exaggerated.

“We’re only 10 games into the season,” said Hart, who finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. “We’ve had all of you (in the media) crying about how we look, offensively, defensively. Some people are ready to wrap up the season, some people are saying we’ve lost our identity. We’re not listening to that . At the end of the day, we know what we have, and it requires fine-tuning.”

The Knicks (5-5) got a balanced attack with their top six (starters plus Miles McBride) all scoring at least 14 points despite an off night from Jalen Brunson.

More impressively, they held the Sixers to 37 percent shooting and under 100 points, redeeming themselves after the defensive dud in Indy two nights prior.

“Our defense held up throughout the game and into the fourth quarter,” Towns said. “So it’s something to be proud of, something to hang our hat on and build on.”

It certainly ended positively for New York, but the night took a brief scary turn on the first possession of the second half.

OG Anunoby, who scored a team-high 24 points, slams home a dunk during the Knicks’ win. NBAE via Getty Images

Brunson stepped on defender Caleb Martin’s foot, fell near midfield and clutched his right ankle in pain.

The point guard bolted to the locker room and missed the next seven minutes of action.

He returned and finished with 18 points on 5 of 15 shooting. Brunson was on the court as the Knicks, who had been outscored by 32 points in the fourth quarter this season, started the final period Tuesday on an 11-0 run and never looked back.

“We started the fourth quarter the way we wanted to, built from there,” Hart said.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 21 points, goes up for a shot during the Knicks’ win. AP

By the low standards of the NBA regular season, Tuesday night had a big-game feel.

First, it doubled as the NBA Cup opener, and the court was far too blue to celebrate Adam Silver’s creation.

Second, it was the season debut for Embiid, who is far too unavailable and just finished serving a three-game suspension for shoving a reporter.

Third, it was the first matchup between the I-95 rivals since the intense playoff series captured by the Knicks last season.

Josh Hart, who recorded a triple-double, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ win. NBAE via Getty Images

Both teams underwent seismic shifts this summer, with Philly signing Paul George and Caleb Martin and the Knicks landing Towns and Mikal Bridges.

“Obviously, both teams have changed quite a bit since the playoffs,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “And they’ve added two guys that can really play. Those guys are both really good players. They both have perimeter games that you have to be aware of. I think we’ll have to see.

“They went through Brunson pretty much exclusively in the playoffs last year. You’re definitely going to get your dose of Brunson (on Tuesday), but obviously you’re going to get KAT some shots. And they do a pretty good job of spreading it around. Even OG (Anunoby) gets his moments, and they go through him a little bit. They’re a lot more balanced, they try to be more perimeter oriented. We’ll see.”

Nurse saw Embiid slam through 26 minutes with 13 points on 2 of 11 shooting.

He watched Towns destroy Embiid while grabbing 13 boards with six assists and 21 points.

He watched Philly’s starting lineup, minus the injured Tyrese Maxey, shoot a combined 2-for-11.

Nurse saw his Sixers (2-8) continue to be tied with Milwaukee as the biggest disappointments in the East.

The Knicks took advantage with solid defense, a big fourth quarter and strong performances from Towns, Anunoby and Hart.

“At the end of the day, we have (Brunson) as our No. 1 option,” Hart said. “KAT has been a first option for many years of his career. (Bridges) has been a number one option. AND can score the ball in different ways. (McBride) comes off the bench and gives us great minutes. I’m out there just trying to connect the dots. Great to have such a game. I think it starts with the defense. I think we surpassed them. We played Knicks basketball.”