Knicks lean on defense late to take 3-0 series lead vs. 76ers

PHILADELPHIA -- There were times this season when the Knicks' defense looked so disjointed, it threatened to derail New York's hopes for a deep playoff run.

Those concerns have been all but squelched as the Knicks shut down thePhiladelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter once again en route to a 108-94 winFriday to take a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.The Knicks held the Sixers to 18 points in the final quarter after limiting them to 12 points in the fourth in Game 2.

New York is one win from reaching back-to-back conference finals for the first time since 1999-2000.

Mikal Bridgesstepped up as the team's defensive disruptor in Game 3 with OG Anunobyout because of a right hamstring injury. Bridges helped to limit Tyrese Maxey, the76ers' leading scorer,to eight shot attempts through the first three quarters.

Knicks coach Mike Brown praised the performance of the much-maligned Bridges, who has rebounded from a slow offensive start to the playoffs to average 20.5 points in his past four games.

"I would be not doing my job if I didn't point out the continued work that Mikal is doing at the point of attack when it comes to Maxey," Brown said. "You're not going to stop him. You hope he misses a few shots, but you have to give multiple efforts and Mikal is busting his behind trying to do that."

Bridges, who grew up near Philadelphia, had to deal with the challenge of chasing around Maxey while also allocating tickets to friends and family. More than a few Knicks supporters were in the arena, despite the Sixers' best efforts, and the New York fans' chants of "Let's go Knicks" rang throughout the arena.

"Just trying to do whatever it takes to win," Bridges said. "Beginning of the playoffs, knowing that all 82 regular-season [games] means a lot, but there's another season after."

Maxey finished with 17 points and seven assists, but the 76ers seemed more focused on running their offense through Joel Embiid, who missed Game 2 because of ankle and hip injuries. Even though Anunoby, who is listed as day-to-day, wasn't available to help on Embiid andKarl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble, it didn't take the Knicks off course.

The Knicks have had to morph into different versions of themselves to counter the 76ers. With no Anunoby, they turned to veteran guard Landry Shamet for critical minutes, and he scored 15 points while playing nearly all of the fourth quarter.

"That's why you give different guys opportunities at different times," Brown said. "What hopefully it shows coming from me is that I have confidence in them. And not only that, your number can be called at any time, so be ready."

Though the Knicks have seemingly pressed all the right buttons this series, the 76ers have been steadily searching for answers.

New York slowed down Paul George, who went 0-for-9 after a hot first quarter, and held the 76ers to 43% shooting and 28% from 3-point range. Embiid scored 18 points but was generally ineffective, especially when matched up against Mitchell Robinson.

The consistency the Knicks have been seeking all season has seemingly shown up at the right time, which is why they could be the first team to clinch a conference finals berth Sunday afternoon. It could also give Anunoby more time to recover from his injury.

"I think the most important thing is to rely on our defense," Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said. "There's going to be times the ball is going through the hoop, and when it's not, we have to control the things we can control."

Brunson continued his strong offensive series with 33 points, his second 30-point performance in three games. Nine of those points came in the fourth quarter after the 76ers cut the Knicks' lead to 88-84 with 8:54 left, but Philadelphia got no closer.

"We all want to win," Brunson said. "And obviously, there's ups and downs of it, and we have times where we look disconnected and we look connected. There's going to be ups and downs. It's all about how you move on, how you move in a positive direction."br/]