Jalen Brunson, Knicks spoil Kyle Lowry's Sixers debut with Spike Lee watching in Philly, win 110-96
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 22: Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a lay up between Isaiah Hartenstein #55 and Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the New York Knicks during the first quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on February 22, 202
PHILADELPHIA - Jalen Brunson had 21 points and 12 assists with Spike Lee cheering from courtside, and the New York Knicks spoiled Kyle Lowry’s Philadelphia debut with a 110-96 win over the 76ers on Thursday night.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 22 points, Josh Hart had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Precious Achiuwa added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks.
All-Star Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 35 points. Maxey made 11 of 24 shots but had little other offensive help, a common theme for the Sixers in MVP Joel Embiid’s absence.
Lowry could add some punch off the bench. He won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 while playing for Nick Nurse, who is in his first season coaching the 76ers.
A six-time All-Star, Lowry received a standing ovation late in the first quarter when he checked in for the first time since he signed last week. The public address announcer noted the moment, saying, "making his Sixers debut, from North Philly, No. 7 Kyle Lowry!"
Lowry, who played in college at Villanova, went up-and-under on the Knicks and scored his first bucket about 40 seconds later. Lowry’s homecoming was short-lived — he took an inadvertent elbow to the face on a driving layup from Knicks forward Jericho Sims. Lowry buried his face in a towel and went straight to the locker room. He received stitches and returned with an adhesive bandage on his forehead in the third quarter.
By then, the Knicks led 71-56 behind their own former Villanova stars — Brunson, Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The trio of national champions had a bulk of the crowd cheering for them, because of their local ties and with plenty of Knicks fans in the house.
Those included Lee.
The famed director wore Brunson gear and an orange hat as he pointed skyward or clapped after each big New York bucket. Lee was as animated as he would have been while sitting in his familiar spot at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks — still playing without OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson — gave Lee plenty of reason to cheer. New York built a 26-point lead and added to its cushion in the Eastern Conference standings. The Knicks are fourth at 34-22; the 76ers are 32-23 — including 6-15 without Embiid.
When DiVincenzo hit an early 3 off an assist from Brunson, Lee jumped out of his seat and pumped his fist. One laugh in the first half came when Brunson dumped a pass behind his back to a streaking DiVincenzo. DiVincenzo — once known as the Michael Jordan of Delaware — botched the dunk.
DiVincenzo, who scored 16 points, did chase off a broom sweeper when he turned a midcourt steal into a bucket.
Lowry finished with 11 points in 25 minutes.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Boston on Saturday night.
76ers: Host Cleveland on Friday night.