The Knicks, shorthanded and tired-legged, played hard throughout but collapsed down the stretch in Philadelphia on Tuesday, losing their second heartbreaker in as many nights and falling to 20-21 in 2021, good for 8th place in the Eastern Conference more than halfway through the season.
New York was without Derrick Rose and Elfrid Payton, not to mention Mitchell Robinson, although the center is out of his cast and could be back soon. The 76ers, meanwhile, were missing MVP Candidate Joel Embiid. Like on Monday, when the Knicks lost in the final seconds to a Nets squad sans Kevin Durant, a victory was there for the taking.