Knicks stay on historic roll, crush 76ers by 39 in Game 1 - ESPN

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half, and the New York Knicks emphatically added to a historic postseason roll by overwhelming the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to win three straight postseason games by at least 25 points, continuing a wave that began midway through the first round against Atlanta by shooting 63% from the field and leading by 40 points Monday night.

«We're playing well, but it doesn't mean anything if we can't find a way to get three more wins,» Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. «So, we've just got to stick to the task at hand.»

OG Anunoby added 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while Towns and Mikal Bridges both had 17. Towns added six rebounds and six assists in just 20 minutes.

After trailing 2-1 against Atlanta, the Knicks have won four straight games by a total of 135 points. Over the past three games, the Knicks have a total margin of victory of 119 points, the largest point-per-game differential in a three-game span in NBA playoff history, according to ESPN Research.

«They're trying to focus on the details no matter what the score is,» Knicks coach Mike Brown said. «They're still trying to stay locked in. And it shows by, you know, whether we're up double digits or not, we're still diving on the floor for loose balls. We're still trying to get out in transition and get to the corners to put pressure on the defense. You know, we're still trying to play the right way.»

Game 2 is Wednesday night before the series shifts to Philadelphia — with Joel Embiid already pleading with 76ers fans not to sell their tickets to Knicks fans when it does for Game 3.

But the