It wasn't easy for the Knicks, even with Joel Embiid out of the 76ers' lineup. They only led by as many as seven points. Karl-Anthony Towns and Ariel Hukporti were both in foul trouble with Mitchell Robinson out, forcing the Knicks to play small.

But they survived, 107-102, to take a 2-0 series lead as the series shifts back to Philadelphia. Jalen Brunson led them with 26 points. OG Anunoby added 24. The Knicks only hit 7-of-26 shots from beyond the arc, which will serve as a concern moving forward until they fix it consistently, but against a shorthanded No. 7 seed, they're now in control of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

OG Anunoby hasn't played for the Knicks down the stretch after checking out with 2:30 remaining. It's unclear what happened or if the emerging star is dealing with an injury.

After taking over in the second quarter, Tyrese Maxey has managed just five points since, and with just over a minute remaining, the Knicks containing the 76ers' star has allowed them to pull away.

Jalen Brunson is up to 26 points after a pair of free throws. The Knicks are leading, 107-100, with one minute left.

With the Knicks trying to pull away, Jalen Brunson has started channeling his Captain Clutch again.

He hit consecutive shots to give the Knicks a 103-99 lead with just over three minutes remaining.

In a back-and-forth game, the Knicks, for now, have grabbed the lead again.

They went up 96-94 on the 76ers with 7:47 remaining in regulation, with OG Anunoby making a layup heading into a Philadelphia timeout. The Knicks' emerging postseason star has another 24 points tonight.

The Knicks haven't been able to establish a consistent lead over the 76ers through three quarters, but they only trail by one — 90-89 — entering the final frame. But lingering over everything is the status of Josh Hart, who was back on the court to start the fourth quarter.

Landry Shamet checked in for Josh Hart, who headed directly back to the locker room with an apparent hand or thumb injury. He appeared to jam it on Quentin Grimes and was grimacing going up and down the court while holding it.

Hart, at the center of everything the Knicks do, has collected two points and five rebounds in Game 2, with the Knicks trailing, 90-89.

Instead of going back to Ariel Hukporti, the Knicks are going small with Landry Shamet after Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his fourth foul with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter.

This, given how the first half transpired, was a glimmer of hope for the Knicks. An encouraging sign. Karl-Anthony Towns, after only playing eight minutes during the opening two frames because of foul trouble, connected on a 3-pointer — his first attempt beyond the arc of the night — early in the third quarter.

In Game 2, the Knicks have struggled beyond the arc. With 6:30 left in the third, they're just 4-for-15. But if Towns can get going, that would give them an answer to Paul George, who has now hit five 3s. The 76ers still lead, 79-77.

Even 40 years later, the question always struck William Goldman as odd. Goldman first started going to Knicks games at the Old Garden, the one on 50th and Eighth, but it was after the new Garden was built 17 streets downtown that he decided to buy season tickets.

“By then, you had to,” Goldman explained one night in 2010, courtside in his usual seat location. “If you didn’t you had to watch the game on TV. Or, more likely, listen on the radio. Now, Marv Albert was a wonderful option. But I liked being there.”

It was that latter sentiment that made the decision easy for him a few weeks past 56 years ago, the night of April 6, 1970 — so easy that he laughed those 40 years later when asked if he ever gave his decision a second thought.

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