The Philadelphia 76ers believed Joel Embiid’s return would completely change the energy of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Knicks. Instead, Jalen Brunson once again became the story of the night, delivering another cold blooded playoff performance that pushed the Knicks to the brink of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brunson scored 33 points and controlled the closing moments as the Knicks defeated the Sixers 108-94 in Game 3 on Friday night, grabbing a commanding 3-0 series lead that now leaves Philadelphia staring at elimination.
The series shifted to Philadelphia with massive attention surrounding Embiid’s return to the lineup after he missed Game 2 with hip and ankle soreness. His return injected immediate energy into the arena and the Sixers looked ready to respond early. Paul George exploded in the opening quarter, the crowd erupted after every Embiid touch, and Philadelphia raced out to an early double digit advantage.
For a brief stretch, it looked like momentum had finally swung.
Then Brunson took over again.
Brunson’s postseason dominance against Philadelphia is becoming historically difficult to ignore. The All-Star guard has repeatedly tortured the Sixers throughout the last two playoff meetings between the franchises, and Game 3 became another reminder that New York now owns the best closer in this series by a wide margin.
What makes this Knicks run even more dangerous is the supporting cast surrounding Brunson.
With OG Anunoby sidelined because of a hamstring injury, New York needed unexpected contributors to emerge on the road. Landry Shamet answered that call brilliantly. After barely featuring in the rotation recently, Shamet exploded for 15 critical bench points and helped completely swing the game during the second half.
Mitchell Robinson also delivered one of his strongest defensive games of the postseason. Robinson battled Embiid physically around the rim, disrupted Philadelphia’s interior rhythm, and repeatedly generated second chance opportunities that crushed the Sixers’ momentum. Every loose rebound seemed to end up in New York’s hands during critical stretches.
Philadelphia’s offensive collapse late in the game became impossible to ignore.
The Sixers managed only 18 fourth quarter points and struggled to generate clean looks once New York increased its defensive intensity. Tyrese Maxey never fully found his rhythm against New York’s physical perimeter pressure, while Embiid appeared limited physically despite gutting through the injury.
Embiid finished with respectable numbers, but he never looked fully dominant. The explosiveness that normally overwhelms opposing defenses appeared inconsistent, especially during second-half possessions when Robinson and New York’s collapsing defense crowded the paint. The Knicks constantly forced Embiid into uncomfortable decisions while aggressively cutting off passing lanes to Maxey and George.
Kelly Oubre Jr. provided one of the few bright spots for Philadelphia with an energetic scoring performance, but the Sixers never found consistent offensive flow once New York settled defensively. The Knicks dictated the physicality, controlled rebounding battles, and consistently won hustle possessions that shifted momentum.
The pressure now facing Philadelphia is enormous.
No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 playoff deficit, and the Sixers suddenly look emotionally drained trying to keep pace with New York’s relentless execution. The return of Embiid was supposed to stabilize the series. Instead, Game 3 exposed even bigger concerns surrounding Philadelphia’s pressure, late game offense, depth, and defensive consistency.
Meanwhile, the Knicks continue looking like one of the most complete teams left in the postseason.
Head coach Mike Brown deserves major credit for his adjustments throughout the series. Even without Anunoby, New York trusted its depth, altered defensive matchups at the perfect moments, and repeatedly punished Philadelphia’s weaknesses. The decision to lean on Shamet during critical fourth-quarter possessions completely changed the game’s energy.
New York’s current surge is beginning to resemble the kind of NBA playoff dominance that turns contenders into genuine title favorites.
But everything still revolves around Brunson.
Every big possession eventually found its way into his hands, and every time Philadelphia threatened to make a final push, Brunson answered with another dagger jumper or a perfectly timed drive into the paint. His calmness under playoff pressure continues separating the Knicks from nearly every remaining team in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers entered Friday night believing Embiid’s comeback could rescue their season.
Instead, Brunson pushed them one step closer to another painful playoff collapse.
Fans searching for the official box score, complete Game 3 takeaways, or upcoming series schedule and broadcast details can follow the latest developments as the Knicks attempt to complete the sweep in Game 4.
