Lajae Jones

The Knicks are firing on all cylinders. New York made 53 of its 84 shots en route to Monday’s 137-98 blowout win over the Sixers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“It’s a lot of fun when you have concepts on either end of the floor and guys are trying to embrace those concepts at the highest level,” head coach Mike Brown said, per James Edwards III of The Athletic. “When they do, it doesn’t really matter what you call or (who) initiates the action because guys are trying to play the right way. It can be any team out on the floor. If they’re trying to embrace what you’re throwing out there, sacrificing, all of that other stuff, it can be a lot of fun to watch.”

As Edwards notes, every New York starter besides Josh Hart, who had eight points and six assists, scored 17 points or more and only Jalen Brunson took more than 11 shots.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

• Mikal Bridges had 11 points or fewer in each of the first five games of the first-round series against Atlanta before erupting for 24 points in the Knicks’ 51-point blowout in Game 6. Apparently, it was no fluke. He had 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting along with five assists and a plus-19 rating in 27 minutes during Game 1 against Philadelphia.  He also kept Sixers play-maker Tyrese Maxey under control. “It’s very important. He’s a huge factor for us,” Brunson told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “He’s been playing great.”
• In the last three games, OG Anunoby is 23-for-30 from the field and 8-for-11 from distance, Braziller notes.  “I think [it’s] the way he’s been able to create space, the way he’s been attacking,” Brunson said. “Those things have been a key factor for him. Obviously, he’s knocking down shot after shot. He’s just playing real aggressive, really downhill. … He’s creating havoc, and he’s making good decisions.”
• Brunson expects a much tougher game from the Sixers on Wednesday. “I don’t think we’re going to see that team, from Game 1 to Game 2,” Brunson said, per Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. “They’ll be ready to go.”
• The Knicks hosted Florida State’s Lajae Jones for a pre-draft workout on Monday, Ian Begley of SNY tweets.  Jones averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Seminoles, his third college team.