Even with Embiid back, the Knicks’ defense is proving to be an unsolvable puzzle. Yankee Scores breaks down the fourth-quarter lockdown. 

There were times during the year when it was clear that the defense of the Knicks was so poor that it could have jeopardized any chance of a deep postseason run by the Knicks.

Historical Milestone

The concerns have been alleviated now that the Knicks have shut down the Philadelphia 76ers yet again in the fourth quarter by winning 108-94 and gaining a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, shutting the 76ers down in the fourth quarter just as they did in game two when the Knicks beat them 110-98 in their second game in a row by keeping them to only 12 points.

With one more victory, the Knicks will advance to their second consecutive conference finals appearance for the first time since the 1999-2000 seasons.

a big brunson bucket 🪣 pic.twitter.com/RyZsBs4LYE

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 9, 2026

Defensive Dominance

In the absence of OG Anunoby due to an injury to his right hamstring, it is Mikal Bridges who has become the key disrupter of the defense for the Knicks in game three.

Mikal has limited the shots of Tyrese Maxey, the top scorer for the 76ers, to only eight attempts before halftime.

The “Bridges” Factor

Knicks coach Mike Brown hailed the heroics of Bridges. Bridges has rebounded from a slow offensive start to the playoffs to average 20.5 points in his past four games.

“I would be not doing my job if I didn’t point out the continued work that Mikal is doing at the point of attack when it comes to Maxey,” Brown said. “You’re not going to stop him. You hope he misses a few shots, but you have to give multiple efforts, and Mikal is busting his behind trying to do that.”

Bridges grew up not far from Philadelphia. He knew he had the task of guarding Maxey but also of arranging tickets for his friends and family. There were several fans of the Knicks among the crowd and they were chanting “let’s go Knicks.”

“Just trying to do whatever it takes to win,” Bridges said. “Beginning of the playoffs, knowing that all 82 regular-season [games] means a lot, but there’s another season after.”

The Embiid Factor

Maxey put up 17 points and seven assists, but the 76ers appeared to rely on Joel Embiid, who missed Game 2 due to ankle and hip injuries. Despite Anunoby being questionable and unable to defend Embiid, the Knicks were still going in the right direction despite Towns getting into foul trouble.

The Knicks have been forced to adapt into many types of teams to compete against the 76ers without Anunoby available. Shamet provided some veteran leadership in this role and scored 15 points in his minutes, including most of the fourth quarter.

“That’s why you give different guys opportunities at different times,” Brown said. “What hopefully it shows coming from me is that I have confidence in them. And not only that, your number can be called at any time, so be ready.”