THE Sixers knew that they were going to have to hold the rebound against the Knicks in this series. Especially after giving up 23 (!) offensive rebounds to New York in Game 1.
In the next two games, Joel Embiid and his teammates managed to balance things out in the sector. But during Game 4, and while Mitchell Robinson, one of the best in the field, was on the sidelines, the subject inevitably came back to the table because offensive rebounds were a major factor in New York's victory , obviously in addition to the great performance of Jalen Brunson.
Particularly in the fourth quarter, when both teams looked completely exhausted. The Knicks thus shot at 6/21 over the period, when the Sixers did even worse at 6/24, failing to serve in good conditions Joel Embiid (who did not come out of the second half) against to OG Anunoby, or to take advantage of the two-man holds on the pivot. In this context, the rebound battle was the key factor, and New York won again (18 to 8), including 7 offensive rebounds in the last 12 minutes of the game…
New York recovers almost 40% of its missed shots!
“OG (Anunoby), Precious (Achiuwa) and these guys weighed in” admitted Nick Nurse. “They brought energy, with their athletic qualities. They touched the balloons. (Josh) Hart did his part but Precious, who took four but probably hit two or three more, had a major impact in the last quarter. »
Without Julius Randle, the Knicks rely on their defense, their attack being carried by Jalen Brunson and therefore this ability to recover a maximum of offensive rebounds.
“We learned during the season” explained Tom Thibodeau on his team's ability to finish games well, thanks precisely to Jalen Brunson and offensive rebounds. “Jalen has played at such a high level all season, and we can build on that. But there was a bit of everything. We were incredible on the rebound. Everyone was questioning our ability to get rebounds with Josh (Hart) as our power forward. And we were the best rebounding team all season. Everyone questioned Jalen as a leader…”
Thanks in particular to Josh Hart, arguably the best outside offensive rebounder in the league, the Knicks were the best team in the field during the regular season, grabbing 33.3% of available offensive rebounds. Against the Sixers, they did even better, taking 38.9% of recoverable offensive rebounds!
During Game 4, New York scored 21 points following offensive rebounds, compared to 6 for the Sixers…
