Knicks Survive Late Collapse Thanks to Bold Lineup Gamble and Gritty Defense
With just over eight minutes left on Saturday night, the Knicks were cruising. Up 17 on the Sixers, they had completely flipped the script after a rough first half.
Joel Embiid had dominated early, and Philadelphia was shooting a blistering 65% from the field. But the Knicks came out of halftime with a purpose, dominating the first 16 minutes of the second half and seemingly putting the game on ice.
Then, as has become a troubling trend this January, the offense hit a wall.
Following a layup from Ariel Hukporti with 8:17 remaining, the Knicks’ offense vanished. The Sixers rattled off a 12-0 run, slicing the lead to five before the Knicks managed another basket more than three and a half minutes later.
Over a brutal 6:20 stretch, New York scored just four points, going 1-for-14 from the field and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line. It was the kind of offensive collapse that makes you question how a game that looked locked up could suddenly be hanging by a thread.
But somehow, they held on.
Despite shaky free-throw shooting, questionable late-game decisions, and the kind of clutch-time execution that gives coaches gray hairs, the Knicks escaped with the win. Part of that was math-overcoming a 17-point deficit in under nine minutes requires near-perfection. But a key factor was a gutsy, unconventional lineup decision by head coach Mike Brown, whose job security had been under the microscope after a rocky start to the month.
Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out with 5:24 left after logging just 16 minutes in what was, frankly, another forgettable outing. With the game tightening, Brown turned to Mitchell Robinson, who had been a force all night.
Robinson was a +14 in the box score, anchoring the defense in a dominant third quarter and giving Embiid real problems around the rim. Riding him late made sense-but there was a catch.
Robinson had already played over 25 minutes, just one shy of his season high. Pushing him past 30 would’ve been the first time since April 11 of last season, and only the third time since his December 2023 stress fracture that he’d exceed that threshold. So after just 86 seconds on the floor, Brown made a surprising move.
He pulled Robinson and went small-really small.
Enter Deuce McBride.
Instead of going back to Hukporti or inserting Mikal Bridges, Brown rolled out a lineup featuring Jalen Brunson, McBride, Landry Shamet, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby. It was a never-before-seen unit, and it meant Anunoby was playing center-something he’s rarely done in New York.
Now, did the lineup win the final stretch? Not exactly.
The Sixers outscored the Knicks the rest of the way. But what it did do was disrupt Embiid, who had been heating up and scored eight of Philly’s last 11 during their run.
After the switch, Embiid managed just one more bucket-a putback layup.
Anunoby deserves a lot of credit here. He may not have the foot speed to chase shifty guards like Tyrese Maxey around screens, but when it comes to holding his ground against physical scorers, he’s as strong and disciplined as they come.
Embiid thrives on overpowering defenders. Anunoby didn’t let him.
And crucially, the Knicks didn’t give up anything on the glass. Rebounding isn’t always about height-it’s about positioning, timing, and effort.
And effort was in no short supply. Plays like Hart’s standing putback dunk were emblematic of the grit that kept the Knicks afloat.
This is exactly the kind of in-game adjustment that shows why Mike Brown was brought in to replace Tom Thibodeau. While Brown hasn’t completely overhauled the team’s identity-he’s still leaned on some Thibs-style lineups to start games-he’s shown a willingness to experiment when it matters. Saturday’s small-ball gamble wasn’t perfect, but it was bold, it was necessary, and it helped the Knicks survive a game they nearly gave away.
For a team still finding its identity under a new coach, that kind of adaptability could be the difference between a good season and a great one.