Good and Bad from Knicks Sixers Game 3

The round 1 series went back to Philadelphia for Game 3 as the Knicks fell to the 76ers, 125-114. Here is the good and bad from a physical, back and forth playoff matchup.

Good: Embiid has 50

Joel Embiid had a career night in Philly and put up 50 points and 8 rebounds, while shooting 13-19 from the floor with 5 3s. Embiid was physical from the start (more on that later) and was able to get to the line consistently, shooting 19-21 from the line. It was a huge night for him and the kind of momentum shift the Sixers needed as they went back home down 2-0.

Bad: Sixers Over the Top Physicality

As I said, the the sixers were physical from the jump, maybe too much. This went past the standard playoff intensity. There were 2 flagrant fouls in the first quarter, including 1 from Embiid where he grabbed Mitchell Robinson by the ankle as he went up for a dunk. There is a very good case that he should have been ejected from the game, and I think anyone else who wasn't Embiid would have been. He and Kyle Lowry were wrecklessly physical throughout the night, and after complaining about officiating excessively after the last game, I don't like that look from the Sixers.

Good: Brunson Picks it up Offensively

Despite the loss, Jalen Brunson put up 39 points and shot 48% from the field, improving more than 15% from previous games. Him getting going is a good thing for the Knicks, they were able to get great looks from 3 and keep up with the barrage of 3s from the Sixers in the 3rd quarter that gave them the edge. As long as the Knicks can get some of the careless turnovers under control, I still liked what I saw from them last night.

Bad: Robinson Left the Arena in a Boot

As a result of the physical play (perhaps one play more than others) Robinson took a beating Thursday night. He ended up leaving the game early and would not return. He later was seen leaving in a walking boot, which is worrisome going forward. Hopefully it isn't to serious and he can return next game, otherwise the Knicks are going to have a much harder time defending the paint when Hartenstein is off the floor.

Game 4 is at 1 PM EST Sunday on ABC