PHILADELPHIA, PA — The boos started early. The quiet came even earlier.
By the middle of the second quarter inside Xfinity Mobile Arena, it felt less like a rivalry game and more like a scrimmage the home team forgot to attend. The New York Knicks walked into Philadelphia on the second night of a back to back and delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, crushing the 76ers 138-89 in a game that was effectively over before halftime.
This was not just a win. It was a statement. A bounce back. A reminder of what the Knicks can look like when the ball moves, the shots fall, and the defense locks in from the opening tip.
The Knicks improved to 35-20 and closed the first half of the season with their 10th win in 12 games. Two of those wins came against Philadelphia. On Wednesday night, they made sure there would be no debate about who controlled this matchup.
From the start, New York set the tone with pace and purpose. Mikal Bridges scored nine quick points as the Knicks jumped out to a 16-4 lead. Philadelphia looked stunned. Rotations were late. Closeouts were soft. And the Knicks punished every mistake.
Bridges finished with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and looked comfortable from the opening possession. He attacked in transition, cut behind ball watching defenders, and found clean looks without forcing anything. By halftime, he had 19 points and the Knicks had a 30-point lead.
Jose Alvarado, the newest Knick after last week’s trade from New Orleans, delivered the breakout performance of his short New York tenure. He poured in a season high 26 points and shot 8-for-13 from three. Every time Philadelphia showed a hint of life, Alvarado answered with another dagger from deep. He also added five steals, igniting fast breaks and turning sloppy Sixers possessions into easy points the other way.
Karl-Anthony Towns controlled the paint with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He scored in rhythm and finished strong around the rim. The Knicks racked up 50 points in the paint and dominated the glass 51-38. Mohamed Diawara chipped in 14 points off the bench, giving New York another boost on a night where contributions came from everywhere.
Even Jalen Brunson, coming off a 40-point performance against Indiana the night before, did not need to take over. He scored eight points and let the offense flow through whoever had the hot hand. That balance defined the night.
New York shot 52.7 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three. They knocked down 20 threes and handed out a season high 41 assists. The ball popped from side to side. Drives led to kickouts. Good shots turned into great shots. The Knicks averaged 1.30 points per possession, while holding Philadelphia to just 0.86.
It was not just the scoring margin that stood out. It was how easy it looked.
The 76ers, playing without Joel Embiid for the second straight game due to right knee soreness, never found rhythm. Tyrese Maxey tried to keep them afloat, finishing with 32 points in three quarters. He attacked off handoffs and found ways to get downhill. But too often he was met by packed paint and rotating defenders ready to contest.
Philadelphia shot just 37.5 percent from the field and a painful 6-for-32 from three. They finished with only 16 assists and committed 18 turnovers. Those mistakes fueled New York’s transition attack. There was a stretch in the second quarter where it felt like the Knicks were running layup lines. Missed shots turned into leak outs. Loose balls turned into breakaways. Bridges seemed to appear alone at the rim again and again.
The defensive issues for Philadelphia started with effort and extended to execution. On simple actions, the Knicks found back cuts and open lanes. Help defenders were late or out of position. Guards were left under the rim trying to contest bigger players. Towns took advantage. So did Mitchell Robinson, who added 11 points, six rebounds, and four blocks in just 15 minutes.
Andre Drummond struggled in limited action. Adem Bona had trouble defending in space. The scheme looked disconnected from the personnel on the floor. At times, Maxey ended up as the low man in the paint against bigger bodies: a mismatch that New York exploited.
And once the shots stopped falling for Philadelphia, the frustration showed.
Kelly Oubre Jr. went 0-for-6 from the field. VJ Edgecombe, who has been fighting through shooting struggles, missed all five of his three point attempts. The Sixers rarely threatened the lead. Their largest advantage all night was two points. By halftime, they trailed by 30. By the fourth quarter, the only question left was how large the margin would grow.
Alvarado made sure it kept growing. His eighth three of the night pushed the lead past 40 and silenced any remaining hope of a late push. The largest lead the Knicks had was 52 points. The final horn did not bring drama. It brought relief for New York and frustration for Philadelphia.
The Sixers were held under 90 points for just the third time all season and set a season low in scoring. They lost their second straight and dropped three of their last four heading into the All Star break. With Embiid sidelined and Quentin Grimes also out due to illness, the roster looked thin. But that did not explain the lack of resistance.
For the Knicks, this felt like a reset after the overtime loss to Indiana. They came out focused. They defended with energy. They shared the ball and trusted each other. Even without OG Anunoby, who missed his fourth straight game, New York looked deep and confident.
Coach Mike Brown has preached consistency all season. On Wednesday night, his team delivered it. They defended without fouling, finishing with just 16 personal fouls. They won the rebounding battle. They forced 15 points off turnovers. And they controlled the tempo from start to finish.
Perhaps most important, they looked connected.
Alvarado’s performance symbolized that connection. A player acquired just days ago stepped into a big role and delivered. His energy on defense, his shot making, and his swagger fed the entire team. When he and Nick Nurse picked up offsetting technical fouls, it added a brief spark to an otherwise one sided contest. But the spark never turned into a comeback.
The Knicks closed the first half of their season the right way. They did it on the road. They did it after a tough loss. And they did it by overwhelming a division rival.
If this version of New York shows up in the second half of the season, they will be a problem for anyone. The ball movement. The depth. The defensive pressure. The ability to win big without leaning on one player. It all points to a team that understands its identity.
Wednesday night was not about drama. It was about dominance.
The Knicks walked into Philadelphia and took control from the opening whistle. They left no doubt. They left no margin for debate. And they left the Sixers searching for answers as the break approaches.
For New York, the message was clear. They are not just stacking wins. They are building something. And when they play like this, they do not just beat teams.
They bury them.