Obi Toppin and Jalen Brunson led a big comeback in an ugly game as the Knicks finally got back in the win column.

The New York Knicks (4-4) snapped a three-game losing skid with a 106-104 victory over the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers (4-6). Coming off a terrible second half against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, the Knicks followed up their performance with an incredibly sloppy first half at Wells Fargo tonight. Despite the offensive struggles early on, they were able to squeeze out a win against a Sixers team missing Joel Embiid (Illness) and James Harden (Foot).

KNICKS GET GRIMEY:

The Knicks entered the game averaging 14 turnovers per game, yet they had 14 turnovers in the first half alone tonight. Among the biggest culprits was Julius Randle, who turned the ball over four times in the first ten minutes of action, finishing with six turnovers on the night. But the disciplinary lapses were widespread, with the Knicks committing three fouls in the first 90 seconds of action against a Harden-less lineup and turning the ball over 21 times as a team.

After stringing together some stops to end the first half, the Knicks took a 58-53 lead into the break and seemed to be gaining some momentum. However, the two-headed monster of Tyrese Maxey (31 points) and Tobias Harris (23 points) nearly proved too much. New York’s success in the first half depended heavily on their ability to push the ball in transition versus the second-slowest team in the league. Yet, Philly’s ability to convert off of turnovers nearly turned the tide in the game.

The Knicks finished the 3rd quarter on the wrong end of an 11-2 run, heading into the 4th trailing 83-74. Interestingly, their struggles came amid a questionable lineup by Tom Thibodeau, featuring Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier, and Jericho Sims (who had not played a single minute before that). Maxey and Harris would combine for 17 in the quarter.

Early foul trouble, among other things, would eventually hamper the season debut of Quentin Grimes as a starter, finishing with a +/- of -20, a game-worst. RJ Barrett, however, was among the bright spots, finishing with 22 points and 9 rebounds in the contest. Obi Toppin continues to show promise shooting the three ball, confidently knocking down a huge three to give the Knicks the lead with under two minutes to go. Toppin would finish with 17 points and 3-for-6 from three.

When asked about his trust in Obi down the stretch, Thibodeau said: “[Toppin] lets it go, which is exactly what we want and what we need. He’s a gifted scorer and I think he’s worked extremely hard on his shot.”

It was a concerning outing for the Knicks, struggling against a mediocre Sixers team with very little depth outside of their starting lineup. Their recklessness protecting the ball and inability to make intelligent decisions early on allowed Philly to hang around all game long. However, the timely buckets down the stretch from Jalen Brunson helped seal the deal for the Knicks. Brunson quietly had a big night, finishing with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Mitchell Robinson also dealt with foul trouble and would eventually be ruled out with a sore right knee at halftime; he would not return.

The Knicks return home tomorrow to host the Boston Celtics (5-3) at the Garden.

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