On April 26, the first round of the NBA playoffs continued. The Philadelphia 76ers returned to their home court for Game 3 against the New York Knicks. The 76ers relied on the strength of the third quarter to open up the difference, and they withstood the Knicks' counterattack in the final quarter. In the end, the 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 125-114 at home, chasing the series score to 1-2.
76ers: Embiid 50 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, Maxey 25 points and 7 assists, Oubre 15 points and 7 rebounds, Payne 11 points.
Knicks: Brunson 39 points and 13 assists, Hart 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, Anunoby 17 points, Hartenstein 14 points.
In the first quarter of the game, the two sides went back and forth on the court, and the score difference did not widen. Hartenstein scored four straight points and Brunson hit a three-pointer to give the Knicks a 10-6 lead. Oubre and Harris scored seven points in a row as the 76ers overtook the score. After that, the two teams alternated leads on the court, and the Knicks led by two points at 29-27 in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Batum and Payne made a three-point effort, and the 76ers outscored the Knicks by four points at 38-34. After the middle period, the Knicks scored four straight points to regain the lead on the court. The two sides were in a stalemate on the court in the second half, and the gap between the two sides was still not widened at halftime, and the Knicks led the 76ers by three points at 58-55.
The 76ers went on a 12-2 run in the third quarter, and Embiid's three-point shot with 5:36 left left helped them take an eight-point advantage at 76-68. After that, the 76ers continued to output three-point output, and the difference between the two sides widened to double digits. The 76ers made nine three-pointers in the first quarter and ended the third quarter with a 98-85 lead.
Hartenstein's rebound at 7:55 in the final quarter helped the Knicks chase the margin back to single digits at 94-103. Embiid relied on free throws and three-pointers to help the 76ers stabilize the situation. Anunoby hit two three-pointers to help the Knicks chase down an eight-point deficit at one point. But they were unable to close the gap further, and the 76ers eventually defeated the Knicks 125-114.