Kemba Walker collected 19 points, his best match as Knickerbocker, to end a 15-game losing streak against the Philadelphia 76ers and win by a final score of 99-112.
His teammate Evan Fournier had 18 points, and Julius Randle completed with another double-double: 16 points and 11 rebounds. The last victory of the Knicks against Philly’s came on April 12, 2017 with Carmelo Anthony in the team at that time.
«It was a good test for us and we cannot stop. And we can’t be satisfied with tonight either, “Thibodeau admitted to the media. ESPN. “We have to go to Chicago next Thursday and it is an undefeated team and it is playing very well,” he said.
Tobias Harris was the top exponent with 23 points; and Joel Embiid had 14 points and 6 rebounds. The Cameroonian center had won all his games against the Knicks and had a 12-0 streak (so far).
This is an NBA season. It can happen sometime, ”admitted Embiid, who finished the first quarter with a 0-for-5 shooting from the field.
Chants were heard at Madison Square Garden last night towards Ben Simmons and his delicate situation with the Sixers. His team suffered against the Walker-Fournier duo and greatly missed the excellent perimeter defense of the Australian All-Star.
“Clearly the Knicks are a better team because they have more playmakers. That’s one thing between Kemba and Fournier. They are not just scorers. They are also playmakers and the more you can add to a team the better. And we haven’t had any tonight, ”Doc Rivers acknowledged.
At last Kemba
The big signing of the season had been quite intermittent in these first few games of the regular season. His top scorer was 11 points, and in the last two days he had sat down the stretch in place of teammate Derrick Rose. But last night he managed to warm up in the third period with three triples to command an advantage of up to 27 points.
“It was fun. I hope we can have more fun times like that. Everybody contributed in many different ways and that’s what basketball is like in New York, ”he concluded.
Match Notes
76ersThe NBA’s best 3-pointer, Seth Curry, who to date had an outstanding 13 of 17 attempts, ran into the Knicks defense to finish 0/4 (4 points).
Knicks: Thibodeau acknowledged after the meeting that Nerlens Noel is very close to returning to the slopes after dragging problems in his left knee and hamstring.
(Cover photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)