Knicks fall to 76ers as James Harden, Joel Embiid dominate
James Harden ne’er got an opportunity to dance abundant on the Knicks’ grave once he was in Brooklyn, however he looked as if it would take nice enjoyment of doing therefore during a Sixers’ jersey in Sunday’s Garden matinee.
The Knicks’ season has became a train wreck as Harden and center Joel Embiid did no matter they wished before an oversized contingent of Sixers fans that musical “MVP” once the whiz center was at the free-throw line.
The dynamic new combine connected on the break typically as Embiid finished with thirty seven points and Harden 29 points and sixteen assists because the Sixers rolled, 125-109. Harden can be seen celebrating with vigor when a number of Embiid’s hoops off his dishes.
“It felt like were in Philly,” Harden said.
It additionally felt just like the Knicks’ season is dead. They vie an 11-turnover half, rallied, then accordion per usual midway through the fourth quarter, outscored 19-4 to shut.
Afterward Evan Fournier created some damning statements.
“I desire generally we’re viewing one another, second-guessing what play we’re progressing to run, who we’re progressing to head to,” said Fournier, a bright spot with twenty four points. “What is he progressing to do? we’ve got no expectations at once from one another as a result of we’ve got no rhythm and no confidence within the fourth quarter. So again, as long as we have a tendency to don’t fix that as players, things aren’t progressing to amendment.”
The Knicks battled for a short while as backup purpose guard Immanuel Quickley junction rectifier a second-half surge that gave them a one-point lead early within the fourth before they flamed out. Quickley finished with twenty one points on five of thirteen shooting and was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
It was the Knicks’ fifth straight loss and that they square measure 3-15 in their past eighteen. In falling eleven games underneath .500 at 25-36, the Knicks square measure viewing a death march to their eighth lottery look in 9 years.
“We simply have to be compelled to figure it out,” Mitchell Robinson aforesaid. “We’ve been talking. If one thing is functioning for America, return to a similar factor. however on every occasion we’ve got changes. we have a tendency to have to be compelled to ascertain what works for America and stick with it.”
Robinson and hamlet Sims every fouled out trying to prevent Embiid. (The Knicks square measure shifting to a biological process movement and Thibodeau didn’t play Taj Gibson or Nerlens Christmastide, who was offered however not one hundred pc owing to area fasciitis.)
Embiid tried 27 free throws and Robinson took possession.
“I should’ve acknowledged it from last time to return in additional aggressive, particularly at the Garden,” he said. “This is that the player, right? I should’ve been a lot of centered and prepared to play. He did what he had to try to to and that i should’ve vie higher.”
Off his 46-point night weekday during a loss to the warmth, RJ Barrett tried to try to to an excessive amount of early. He finished with twenty four points and 4 turnovers, shooting simply nine of twenty-two, half dozen of ten on free throws. Julius Randle had another off day (16 points, 4 of 13).
A Randle lost three midway through the fourth junction rectifier to a picture-perfect break as Harden junction rectifier Embiid for a monstrous slam. the sport commit to stop Harden-Embiid didn’t work and that they get another probability Wednesday at metropolis.
Thibodeau admitted the sport was known as shut (fouls) which possible benefitted the Sixers.
“When you’ve got 2 dynamic players like that, it puts heaps of pressure on you,” Thibodeau aforesaid. “If you’re generating speed and there’s contact — some games it’s marginal contact it’s not a foul. another games, it is. That’s wherever you’ve got modify.”
The Knicks fell behind 75-64 with 8:08 left within the third when Randle’s pass was intercepted by Henri Matisse Thybulle, who fed Tyrese Maxey for a fast-break basketball shot.
But the Knicks scraped and clawed — with Quickley the highest persecutor — and trailed simply 91-89 when 3. when Barrett drove certain a basketball shot, Quickley scarf the inbounds, dribbled to the 3-point line and nailed it to bring the Knicks with one purpose with 1:16 left within the third. however there have been few Knicks highlights thereafter.
“The fourth quarter is totally different,” Fournier said. “That’s the time to actually execute our greatest stuff and head to our greatest players. Yeah man, it’s frustrating, as a result of we have a tendency to aren’t so much in the least. we must always be winning these games. it’s frustrating. terribly frustrating.”
