‘OG Anunoby is the most important player on the New York Knicks’ - Big Perk 🗣️ | SportsCenter

0:00 with some playoff basketball to start this one off.

0:02 We got Knicks Sixers at the Garden.

0:05 Game two.

0:06 The Knicks last three wins in the postseason have come by at least 25 points.

0:11 That's the longest streak in NBA playoff history.

0:13 Got no Joel Embiid in this one, but the Sixers came to play.

0:16 Tyrese Maxi back door dunk and Maxi drives to the basket,

0:22 gets the layup to fall.

0:23 Efficient early.

0:24 The Sixers up six here.

0:26 The Knicks make it a game.

0:27 Jaylen Brunson with the steal.

0:29 shakes off the defender, lays it in.

0:32 Knicks cut it to one.

0:34 Knicks in transition.

0:35 Josh Hart hits a cutting OG Aninovi for two.

0:39 Then less than 10 seconds left in the half.

0:41 Maxi finds VJ Edgecomb.

0:44 He knew I had to knock it down.

0:45 Sixers up by one at the half.

0:47 No MB.

0:48 No problem early in the third though.

0:51 Knicks trailing.

0:51 Carl Anthony Towns driving.

0:53 Hits the lay.

0:54 The deuce and the damage.

0:56 Knicks down one after the free throw.

0:59 pounds driving a wild shot.

1:01 Lands on top of the backboard, but you all we got skills.

1:05 Maxi decides Andre Drummond should be able to get it with the broom,

1:08 but that man can't get it done.

1:10 Cad's like, "Listen, my house, my rules."

1:12 Well, it is his first of all.

1:13 So, he should have done that.

1:15 He should have, but Timothy Shalamé is like, "That's my guy." Okay.

1:19 Uh, so listen, that was a a sign of strength for the Knicks.

1:22 And here they come.

1:23 Brunson lays it in and the game is tied at 79.

1:27 And honestly, popping that ball out really did well for them.

1:30 BJ Edgecomb for three though.

1:32 Sixers up one at the end of the third.

1:34 A very close game to the fourth quarter we go.

1:38 Middle of the fourth.

1:39 OG kicks it out to Hart 43.

1:41 That's a bucket.

1:42 The game is tied at 99.

1:44 Who will be the first to 100?

1:46 Lawler as well.

1:46 We'll see.

1:47 Brunson stops on the dime.

1:49 Hits the midi.

1:51 The Knicks up two.

1:53 About a minute later, same score.

1:54 Brunson hits the B button.

1:56 Spin move gets it to go.

1:58 Knicks up 10399.

2:00 Next possession, Saints score.

2:02 Anonobi cuts to the paint.

2:04 Appears to hurt his leg.

2:06 His shot is blocked, but the rebound gets to Muel Bridges who hits the Jay.

2:11 Watch it go down.

2:13 And boom goes to Dynamite.

2:15 OG would lead the game, not return.

2:18 Knicks up 1059.

2:20 Now Paul George pulls up from three.

2:23 Way short.

2:24 Sixers can't get it done.

2:26 Knicks win 108 102.

2:28 A close one to take the two nothing series lead.

2:32 I think we made things uh difficult.

2:35 Also, I think they missed some some good looks.

2:38 So, uh got away with a couple, but um we strung some stops together down

2:44 the stretch when we needed to and created

2:46 like a like a five six point cushion and then um just kind of kept that.

2:53 I mean, we just found a way to uh execute, you know,

2:57 and we and we got the stops that was needed, got the rebounds.

3:01 I think that was something that was

3:02 really hitting us with our offensive rebounding.

3:05 And um we found a way to uh get the stops and and and end those possessions.

3:11 And on offense, I mean, you shout out to Kale,

3:15 to Jaylen making the big shots and giving us

3:19 a a lead like that, but our defense was something special.

3:21 We felt like we felt like we should have won it.

3:23 Um I say it came down to shot making at the end of the game.

3:26 They were making shots.

3:27 We wasn't.

3:28 I felt like, you know,

3:29 me and Brunson made a lot of tough shots towards the end of the game.

3:33 Uh we missed wide open once.

3:35 I say he's a good player.

3:36 He's going to score.

3:38 We won't we won't hold him scoreless.

3:40 He's a good player.

3:41 Um but I think we did a I think we did a real good job.

3:44 I said they had everyone was scoring for them.

3:45 Wednesday night was the 14th time that Jaylen Brunson and Carl

3:49 Anthony Towns both have 20 points in the same playoff game.

3:52 That ties Walt Frasier and Dave Deus are

3:54 for most by any teammates in Knicks franchise history.

3:58 They'll have a chance to break the tie Friday in game three.

4:03 NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins kind enough to kick

4:05 us with us here on Sports Center.

4:07 Uh, Kendrick, this game was more snug than my suit after dinner,

4:12 but down the stretch, Knicks find a way to pull away in this bad boy.

4:16 Who are you stamping as the man responsible

4:18 for them be being able to get this win?

4:21 Well, look, we know what Big Body Bronson is capable of doing, right?

4:25 One of the best closers in the game, and he had his moments.

4:28 Carl Anthony Town's been huge defensively,

4:31 but I got to show a lot of love to OG Anobi.

4:34 He's been spectacular all throughout this postseason and in this game tonight.

4:39 He did it.

4:40 He got it done on both ends of the floor.

4:42 Been knocking down this three, showing his versatility,

4:45 been being a hell of a slasher off the ball

4:48 that has opened up the offense for the New York Knicks.

4:51 And defensively, he allowed the New York Knicks to go small.

4:55 And when Carl Anthony Towns was in foul trouble

4:57 in the second half and played the center position,

5:00 OG Anobi is the most important player on the New York

5:04 Knicks far as they success and where they're trying to go.

5:07 And if he continue to play at this level,

5:10 it's nothing that's going to stop the Knicks from winning

5:12 this series and advancing or getting out of the Eastern Conference.

5:17 I mean, as close as this game was, Perk,

5:19 it's also important to note that the Sixers were without Joel Embiid,

5:23 and it seemed like they just ran out of gas in this game.

5:26 But what they showed you without their big man,

5:29 can they win game three back in Philly without Embiid?

5:33 Well, yeah, they can.

5:34 And listen, it's going to be hard,

5:35 but the one thing that I noticed tonight was the perimeter play.

5:39 Kelly Ubé, Tyrese Maxi, BJ Edgecom, Paul George,

5:43 they all stepped up to play and was knocking down shots,

5:46 especially early in the game.

5:47 And that's why the game was so close

5:49 because they were playing at an elite level,

5:52 especially when they decided to go small

5:55 and go toe-to-toe with the New York Knicks.

5:57 Now, can they win this series without Joel Embiid?

6:00 Hell no.

6:01 Because we saw late in the fourth quarter

6:03 what ended up happening when they couldn't make shots.

6:06 They didn't have nothing else to go through.

6:08 See, Joel Embiid is that big man that you could

6:10 play in the half play through in the half court set

6:13 that's going to get you easy baskets that's going to get

6:16 to the free throw line when your shot is not falling.

6:19 So again, the 76ers, they came out, they fought, they made adjustments.

6:23 I expect them to come out even better at home in game three.

6:26 I still believe this series is going to go six or seven,

6:30 giving the edge to the Knicks.

6:31 But hey, we in for a brawl for it all.

6:34 I like it.

6:34 I like to see it.

6:35 And hey, the official perk line of this no Joel Embiid, can the Sixers win?

6:40 Hell no.

6:40 But we'll see.

6:41 We'll see how it plays out.

6:42 Game three on Friday back in the ill.

6:45 Welcome in Michael Wilbond from Madison Square Garden.

6:47 Wilbon, you had a front row seat to the action tonight.

6:50 Back and forth battle.

6:51 An uncharacteristically close game for the Knicks.

6:54 But what was the key for New York's ability to get the win down the stretch?

6:59 I mean, you know, they're going to always

7:01 point to defensively something that was done.

7:04 And I don't know whether it was just errant shooting on the part

7:06 of the 76ers or really stifling defense on the part of the Knicks,

7:10 but after making 12 of the first 24 three-point shots they attempted,

7:15 the 76ers then missed nine of 10 to end the game.

7:18 Uh, and a three-point lead turned into a deficit

7:21 and they seem to have no way to overcome it.

7:23 despite and that's why I'm going to air if I'm going to air is

7:27 going to be on the side of saying the Sixers just uh missed shots

7:31 because they had some good looks if not wide open shots several times

7:35 on those final 10 three-point attempts couldn't

7:38 make couldn't make any uh and that was

7:40 the game in one that was tied 25 times and one that and had

7:44 14 lead changes so it was back and forth it was uh everything

7:48 that the Sixers could have wanted to stay in this game without Joel Embiid

7:54 um but ultimately could not hit enough shots down the stretch to close it.

7:58 Right.

7:58 And as you mentioned, credit to Philly,

7:59 no Joel Embiid, and still kept it this close.

8:02 Questions remain about if he will be

8:04 available for game three in Philly on Friday.

8:07 But can the Sixers get over the hump if they are still without Embiid?

8:13 Well, you know, of course,

8:14 they're going to point to having won game two in Boston without Embiid.

8:19 They've played enough without him this year to know what it feels like.

8:23 It's not like it's a shock to the system

8:24 because he's missing a game for the first time.

8:27 But uh Joel Embiid came back and after being rusty

8:31 in the first game he played in the Boston series,

8:33 they won three in a row with Embiid.

8:37 So, you know, we don't even know if he's going to be available for Friday.

8:40 We're not going to know that yet.

8:41 Who knows how long, whether that'll go

8:43 to a game time decision um or whether they'll figure

8:46 out something with the training staff in the next

8:48 day or so as this series moves to Philadelphia,

8:52 but the 76ers clearly need him in the lineup Friday, Friday, and Sunday.

8:57 Um the Knicks have won games and played well in Philadelphia,

9:00 so it's no guarantee, but that's the Sixers uh best chance,

9:04 particularly when Carl Anthony Towns is playing as well as he is.

9:08 The opposite number of Joel Embiid.

9:11 um with a near triple double.

9:13 Um so with that in mind, they're going to look to get Embiid ready.

9:18 There's one question that was out there uh right after the game,

9:20 which is wow, why didn't the Sixers think seriously,

9:23 or maybe they did about not playing Joel Embiid in game one,

9:28 resting him that game, and getting him back for this.

9:31 All second guessing now.

9:32 Uh the attention turns to what's going to happen Friday night in Philadelphia.

9:35 Yeah, of course, hindsight always 2020,

9:37 but the Knicks a two nothing series lead.

9:40 The series shifts to Philly Friday.

9:41 Michael Wilbon, thanks as always for the insight.