New York Knicks get back on track post All-Star break: Jalen Brunson leads the way over Philadelphia 76ers despite Tyrese Maxey explosion

Tonight’s showdown featured 2 of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, albeit both squads were missing their stars due to injury. However, both teams had first-time All-Stars leading the way and it was Jalen Brunson who came out on top, leading the New York Knicks to a 110-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.

Jalen Brunson has been having a fantastic season which has led to the Knicks being a favorite to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite dealing with injuries all season with key players such as Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby, New York has been able to stay afloat thanks to terrific play from their 1-time All-Star and the amazing depth that was acquired via the trade deadline.

The 27-year-old point guard led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Hart had 18 points and 12 rebounds while Precious Achiuwa finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo recorded 16 points while midseason acquisition Bojan Bogdanovic scored 22 points off the bench.

For the 76ers, Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 35 points. Buddy Hield scored 14 points with 4 made threes while Kelly Oubre had 14 points off the bench. Kyle Lowry made his debut for Philadelphia tonight and finished with 11 points on 5/7 shooting.

This win improves the Knicks to 34-22, which makes them 4th in the Eastern Conference. New York is now 1 game behind the 3rd seeded Bucks. They are 5-5 over their last 10 games will play on Saturday night against the top seeded Boston Celtics in another Eastern Conference battle.

On the other hand, this loss drops the 76ers to 32-23, which makes them 5th in the Eastern Conference. Philly is now 1.5 games behind New York and 1 game above the 6th seeded Pacers. They are 3-7 over their last 10 games and currently on a 2-game losing streak. Their next game will be tomorrow night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.