Philadelphia 76ers (5-1) beat New York Knicks (2-4) 98-93 at home on Friday, October 30 in a low-scoring game: just 191 combined points between the two teams.
The game, quarter by quarter
The 76ers struck first, taking the opening quarter 29-21 and a 8-point lead after one. The 76ers kept the pressure on with a 24-23 second quarter, carrying a 9-point lead into halftime.
The teams matched each other with 24 points apiece in the third quarter, so the 76ers remained ahead by 9 entering the fourth. The Knicks took the fourth 25-21; the 76ers held on for a 98-93 regulation win.
What decided it
The 76ers got more from their shots, finishing at 57.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 48.3% for the Knicks. The 76ers made 16 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 11.6 for the Knicks. In a 5-point game, that shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Knicks did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 29.2% against 13.9%. The 76ers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 91 possessions per team, the 76ers produced 107.6 points per 100 possessions to 102.1 for the Knicks.
The Knicks' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 19-7.
Who made the difference
LeBron James was the game's biggest individual force for PHI: 20 pts, 9 reb, 8 ast on 8-15 shooting. His Game Score of 19.9 led everyone. His team was +8 with him on the floor.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 22 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast on 8-15 shooting, good for a 19.1 Game Score.
Karl-Anthony Towns (22 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 43% for the 76ers.
Across the last 13 meetings in our records, New York Knicks lead 10-3.
The 76ers are now 5-1, and the Knicks are 2-4. The 76ers last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.