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Despite a second-straight off night for Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks pulled off a win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2, thanks to a go-ahead three from Donte DiVincenzo.
He thanked the fans at Madison Square Garden for the energy in his postgame interview with MSG’s Rebecca Harlow.
“I mean listen to this,” DiVincenzo told Harlow. “This is what we do. This is who we do it for. That’s it. 2-0.”
DiVincenzo’s three-pointer gave the Knicks a 102-101 lead over the 76ers with 13.1 seconds left. And earned a very rare double “Bang!” call from Mike Breen.
DiVincenzo finished the night with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
And a moment that will be remembered in New York’s playoff lore for the foreseeable future, regardless of the series’ outcome.
Brianna Williams of ESPN reported that the come-from-behind win was a historic one, in an April 22 column postgame.
“According to Elias Sports Bureau,” Williams wrote. “The Knicks are the fourth team in the past 25 seasons to win a playoff game after trailing by at least five points in the final 30 seconds of regulation. They are the first to win in regulation.”
Everything’s coming up Knicks.
Knicks 2-0 Lead Is Historically Safe
According to Land of Basketball, teams that take a 2-0 lead go on to win the series 92.7% of the time.
That number is even higher for teams in the first round, at 93.4%.
The last team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a seven-game series was the 2022-2023 Golden State Warriors, who fell into a 2-0 hole against the Sacramento Kings in the first round.
That should give New York some confidence as they take this series on the road, with Games 3 and 4 taking place in Philadelphia.
Knicks React to DiVincenzo’s Go-Ahead 3
DiVincenzo told reporters after the game that New York’s confidence never wavered, down 4 points with a minute remaining.
“I don’t think our confidence ever wavered,” DiVincenzo told SNY. “It wasn’t like the game was over. It never is, especially playing for Thibs.”
And that the team practices those kinds of situations every day in practice.
“Felt like (expletive) I missed the first one, to be completely honest,” He continued. “I was hoping Isaiah got the offensive rebound. Just because I knew I would get a second opportunity. We practice that every day, dagger threes and second-chance threes. Once OG got it I just got my feet set, and live with the results. Trust the work that I put in, and thankfully it went down.”
Isaiah Hartenstein‘s offensive rebound was his fourth of the game, but his block on Tyrese Maxey moments later sealed the victory.
The Knicks big man talked about DiVincenzo’s impact on the offense postgame.
“He’s been big,” New York’s starting center told SNY. “I feel like, just especially after those 50 games, the way he stepped up was huge. He’s been a focal point for our offense, and I think without him we wouldn’t be where we are right now. I’m really grateful to have him.”
Fans are grateful, too. What was almost a tie series headed into enemy territory is now a 2-0 New York Knicks lead that looks insurmountable for the Philadelphia 76ers.
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