Philadelphia 76ers 106, New York Knicks 100: an 18-point third quarter sinks New York

The New York Knicks had the opener where they wanted it at halftime, up 58-54 at Madison Square Garden. Then they scored 18 points in the third quarter, and the Philadelphia 76ers took it 106-100 on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

New York won the glass and the paint. It lost on shot-making and ball security, and one quarter was enough to undo the rest.

How it was won

The first half was close and quick. The Knicks took the first quarter 25-23 and the second 33-31, and their largest lead of the night reached 10.

The third quarter decided it. Philadelphia outscored New York 29-18 to turn a four-point deficit into an 83-76 lead going into the fourth. The Knicks won the fourth 24-23, but a one-point quarter does not erase a seven-point hole. Philadelphia's largest lead was 9, and it never had to protect much more than that.

The box score shows how New York lost a game it controlled in several areas:

• Rebounds: Knicks 53, 76ers 45.
• Points in the paint: Knicks 44, 76ers 40.
• Field goals: Knicks 35-94 (37 percent), 76ers 37-89 (42 percent).
• Assists: 76ers 28, Knicks 21.
• Turnovers: Knicks 15, 76ers 12.

The extra rebounds bought New York five more field-goal attempts, and it still made two fewer shots. Both teams hit 11 threes; the Knicks needed 33 attempts, Philadelphia 40. At the line, Philadelphia went 21-27 and New York 19-27.

Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 28 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, despite going 2-9 from three. Jaylen Brown added 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. LeBron James came close to a triple-double with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, and the 28 team assists reflect how often Philadelphia found the open man.

For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 21 with 5 rebounds and 3 assists, shooting 1-3 from deep. Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 12 rebounds and was efficient from outside at 3-4. Josh Hart added 14 points and 7 rebounds. Towns finished with one assist, and the Knicks as a group did not move the ball the way Philadelphia did.

Against the number

The market closed with the Knicks favored by 4.5. Philadelphia covered by winning outright, and the moneyline on the 76ers at +145 paid. The Knicks closed at -175.

The total closed at 231.5. The teams combined for 206, an under by 25.5 points. With both sides shooting 42 percent or worse and making 22 threes on 73 attempts between them, the scoring never got close to the number.

The closing odds and line history are on the game page.

What's next

This loss started a rough opening stretch. The Knicks are now 1-3: after Philadelphia they lost 107-103 at Boston and 111-102 at home to Orlando, then beat Detroit 111-97 for their first win.

New York's next game is Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the Chicago Bulls, on NBA League Pass. The pattern to watch is the one from opening night: the Knicks have been competitive for long stretches, and three of the losses came by nine points or fewer. Closing out quarters, especially out of halftime, is the fix.

Philadelphia's next fixture was not part of the material available for this recap.