Philadelphia builds an early cushion and holds off New York, 98-93, behind three 20-point scorers.
Philadelphia turned a 29-21 first quarter into a 98-93 win, surviving New York’s 25-21 edge in the fourth. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, adding 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 2 turnovers. Anfernee Simons chipped in 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three, with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 1 turnover. LeBron James added 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 2 turnovers; Joel Embiid had 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 4 turnovers. Jalen Brunson paced New York with 24 points on 8-of-22 shooting, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 2 turnovers, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 on 8-of-15 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds, with 3 assists, 0 steals, 1 block and 2 turnovers. The teams tied 24-24 in the third, preserving Philadelphia’s nine-point halftime lead, and New York’s fourth-quarter push trimmed the final margin to five but couldn’t erase it.
Key Performers
Tyrese Maxey, PHI: 27 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST; 10/19 FG, 1 STL, 1 BLK Anfernee Simons, PHI: 21 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST; 7/11 FG, 5/8 3PT Jalen Brunson, NYK: 24 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST; 8/22 FG, 2 STL
Standings Impact
Philadelphia improves from 4-1 to 5-1. New York falls from 2-3 to 2-4.
DYMA Insight
The Sixers’ three 20-point scorers helped protect the nine-point halftime cushion. New York won the fourth quarter, but its 25-21 edge wasn’t enough to overcome Philadelphia’s fast start.