How It Happened
On Friday night in Philadelphia, the Sixers controlled the paint en route to their first victory over the Knicks in the third meeting between the two teams this season. Former Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel turned in a dominating performance by scoring eight of his 23 in the third quarter while helping Philadelphia register 46 points in the box. In the second of a back-to-back and fresh off a draining overtime contest against the Wolves, New York struggled from the floor but managed to hit 50 percent from downtown. Shane Larkin was solid off the pine for the Knicks with 13 points and his off balance 3-pointer trimmed the Sixers lead to just four points with .4 seconds remaining in the half. The four-point margin was as close as New York would reach the home team and it dropped to 14-55 on the season.
Knick of the Night
Alexey Shved was impressive once again, scoring a game-high 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the floor and a blistering 7-of-8 from deep.
Game Notes
Tim Hardaway Jr. (wrist) and Cleanthony Early (ankle) missed their third straight game. There is no timetable for Jose Calderon to return to action but he continues to travel with the team.
Next Up
The Knicks will board a plane tonight to Toronto for the final stop on the two-game road trip and conclude the season series against the Raptors on Sunday.