PHILADELPHIA – Tobias Harris of Long Island smoked quietly when he was not selected in the NBA All-Star Game after helping the Sixers get the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Harris looked confident he had a strong case Tuesday night. For one night, he took her out of his hometown team, which was desperate for the offensive firepower that Harris provided Sixers.
Harris hit two keys inside the bucket on the stretch, while the Knicks cooled off, scoring just 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Philadelphia escaped with a 99-96 defensive victory at the Wells Fargo Center.
This was only the second game of the season in which the arena hosted fans this pandemic season – 3,100 strong.
While there were a handful of Knicks jerseys in the stands, a lot of Philly watched these new remnants and claws from the Knicks, but failed, with only one sustained blow at the end of the fourth quarter.
Harris finished with 30 points on 11 of 20 shots to make the Sixers win for the sixth straight game, with the team continuing to win despite the absence of MVP candidate Joel Embiid.
Julius Randle finished with 19 points on just 7 of 19 shots. Alec Burks, former Sixer, missed a last-minute shot and committed a turnover. He finished with 19 points, but shot 6 out of 15.
Followed by three, Immanuel Quickley blocked a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left. The Knicks got the rebound and Reggie Bullock launched a 3-pointer, but it was out of bounds.
RJ Barrett, who missed the clutch baskets late, finished with 17 points, but shot just 7 of 17, while the Knicks fell 20-21, losing their backs to the Nets and Sixers.
The Knicks are injured on guard without Elfrid Payton and Derrick Rose. Quickley looked bothered by an inguinal strain, but added 13 points. Frank Ntilikina, as good a defender as he was, lost without a score for the third consecutive game, going 0-for-4.
It was tied at 41-41 when the Knicks went 7-0 to advance 48-41.
Barrett hit Nerlens Noel in an alley to start the race. Bullock, who turned 30 on Tuesday, eliminated a 3-pointer from the Sixers turnover. Barrett limited the race to another Philly turnover. Burks led Barrett, who sprinted down for an undisputed left block.
The Knicks held a 56-48 lead at the break when Randle came out of his post-buzzer corner of Brooklyn, took a 3-point lead in the first possession of the game, and finished with 13 points and four assists at the break.