Knicks vs. 76ers Game 2 live updates: Knicks take first lead in third quarter – New York Post

Behind their stars, the 76ers tied the score again and forced a Knicks timeout with 3:49 remaining in the third quarter.

Joel Embiid matched Isaiah Hartenstein guarding him – connecting on a jumper while also forcing the foul – and Tyrese Maxey followed with a layup to cause a Tom Thibodeau timeout, extending a 12-year run 4 for Philadelphia. Maxey and Embiid combined for 64 of the 76ers’ points.

Bojan Bogdanovic delivers once again.

To start the final quarter, the Knicks built a seven-point lead – the most they held in Game 2 thanks to two big three-pointers from Bogdanovic that forced a 76ers timeout.

He has six points, shooting 2 of 6 from the field, in his 10 minutes on the court. In the first game Saturday night, he had 13 points and seven rebounds.

After the Knicks took the lead with 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the 76ers hoped to regain their lead that had been held for most of the game for the final quarter of Game 2.

They lost five points.

The Knicks went on an 11-7 run in the remaining minutes for a 79-74 lead, battling to an early 2-0 start against Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.

Isaiah Hartenstein played a big role in the final minutes, hitting two jump shots and blocking Buddy Hield’s layup. He has 10 points, shoots 5 of 6 from the field and six rebounds.

The Knicks, for the first time in Game 2, took the lead.

Jalen Brunson hit a shot near the basket with four minutes left in the third quarter, giving them a 68-67 lead and forcing a timeout for the 76ers. He has now scored 17 points on 6 of 20 shots.

As soon as the foul was called, Josh Hart launched a challenge.

He thought his block on Kyle Lowry was clean. The Knicks contested. And the call was overturned, allowing Hart to commit just one foul and keep his deficit at three points — and ultimately cut it to one, at 65-64, when Donte DiVincenzo connected on two free throws.

A Jalen Brunson jump shot will do the trick.

After trailing by four points at halftime, the Knicks tied the game, 55-55, two minutes into the third quarter for the first time since the 0-0 start that lasted only more than a minute.

However, they didn’t let the 76ers get too far ahead, always staying within 10 points.

It was a key shot for Brunson, who shot just 5 of 17 from the field and 0-3 from deep Monday night.

Josh Hart’s 12-point quarter — giving him 19 in the first 24 minutes — helped hold the Knicks to within four points at halftime, with the 76ers leading 53-49.

There were four 3-pointers for Hart, which tied up his marks from beyond the arc in the opener. And the Knicks needed those shots to keep pace with Tyrese Maxey’s 20 points and Joel Embiid’s 16. Jalen Brunson had 13 points for the Knicks on 4-for-14 shooting, while Donte DiVincenzo added nine.

Joel Embiid appeared to disagree with a foul called against him, and it led to a technical.

After trying to block Donte DiVincenzo’s shot, Embiid was booked for a foul, pushed DiVincenzo and then was called for the technical problem.

DiVincenzo made all three free throws, but by the time Tom Thibodeau called a timeout a minute later, the 76ers had pushed their lead to double digits — 44-34, with 4:21 left in the first half.

Miles McBride took his first shot of the game, but he helped provide another spark to the Knicks’ offense early in the second quarter.

But the 76ers continued to respond. Tyrese Maxey scored a deep 3-pointer. And it helped keep their lead intact, with Philadelphia holding a 36-29 advantage when Nick Nurse called a timeout midway through the game.

Tyrese Maxey’s three 3-pointers to start Game 2 helped the 76ers take an early lead that lasted until the end of the first period.

The Knicks, whose last-second sequence didn’t even end with a shot due to a miscommunication between Bojan Bogdanovic and Josh Hart, trailed 25-18 after 12 minutes. Hart (seven points), Donte DiVincenzo (six points) and Jalen Brunson (five points) contributed all of their scoring. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 12 points.

Brunson, who struggled in the first game and shot 8 of 26, opened 2 of 8 on Monday.

At first it looked like a turnover. Another one for the Knicks too. But Jalen Brunson was able to keep the ball away from a trio of 76ers and keep the possession alive.

One pass later, the ball got to Josh Hart in the corner, and his 3 pulled the Knicks within 22-16 and prompted a Nick Nurse timeout with 2:03 left in the first quarter. It was Hart’s first 3-pointer of Game 2, and he leads the Knicks with seven points.