NEW YORK — A matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers means dealing a bunch of whistles, foul shots and substitutions for opposing defenders.
That was no different in Monday night’s Game 1 of a second-round series for the New York Knicks.
Knicks bigs — Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson — were whistled for fouls so often that head coach Mike Brown was forced to use Ariel Hukporti, who didn’t log a meaningful minute during the first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, in the first half while his rotation players dealt with foul trouble.
Yet, in Game 1, the issue didn’t come back to haunt the Knicks as they cruised to a 137-98 victory to take a 1-0 series lead.
It’s still one to be aware of as the seventh-seeded 76ers look to overthrow the No. 2 seeded-Knicks.
Joel Embiid did his work on Towns early, attacking the Knicks star with his patented triple-threat stance a few feet outside the paint.
Towns picked up two fouls before the first quarter even reached the midway point, forcing Brown to sub in Robinson early to deal with Embiid.
As the quarter came to a close, Hukporti was needed to relieve Robinson, who would be needed for the rest of the first half with Towns in foul trouble.
The issue seemed minute on Monday, with Jalen Brunson torching the 76ers en route to an eight-point advantage at the end of the first period.
But, Brown’s best lineups consist of either Towns or Robinson on the floor. On almost any other night, being without Town’s playmaking or Robinson’s rim protection and rebounding dominance would tank the Knicks.
Fortunately for them, though, the Knicks were plus-10 in the three first-half minutes Hukporti played in Game 1. And they were propelled by Brunson’s 27 first-half points. The Knicks captain finished with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting in 31 minutes.
The Knicks managed to weather the storm, even when Towns sat again after he picked up his third foul while defending Tyrese Maxey’s drive with 2:40 remaining in the second.
Robinson was called for three personal fouls before halftime, too. But, his team was already up 11 by the time he got his third and ended up leading by 23 at the end of two quarters.
The Knicks got away with Maxey (7 for 7) and Embiid (6 for 6) combining for 13 made free throws by halftime.
New York’s lead ballooned to as many as 40 points. Embiid and Maxey played their last minutes midway through the third quarter and sat for the final period.
For now, foul trouble wasn’t an issue. But if Towns and Robinson continue the trend, it could negatively affect the Knicks down the road.
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