3 reasons the Knicks were able to beat the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4

The New York Knicks were able to take a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers by beating them 97-92 in Game 4. Despite missing arguably their defensive anchor and best veteran on that side of the floor with Mitchell Robinson injured, the Knicks were able to lockdown the 76ers in a game New York couldn't get any offense going outside of a spectacular performance from Jalen Brunson.

After the win, the Knicks are in a great spot to make the second round of the playoffs with the franchise only needing one more win to advance. Before looking ahead to a possible celebratory Game 5, it's worth looking at three reasons why the Knicks were able to win this game.

3. Lockdown defense

In a crucial moment, the New York Knicks were able to have their best defensive performance of the series. The franchise played extremely well on the defensive end of the floor as the squad limited the Sixers to 90 points for nearly the entire game.

Yes, Joel Embiid is most likely hobbled and the Sixers' lack of offense creation without their star is part of the reason that Philly was unable to score in this game. Still, a lot of credit has to go to players like Josh Hart and O.G. Aunonby.

One veteran that deserves specific praise is Precious Achiuwa. Achiuwa had to play extended minutes guarding Joel Embiid with Isaiah Hartenstein in foul trouble and Mitchell Robinson out with injury.

While Embiid is clearly playing through an aliment, Achiuwa deserves praise for his play on the defensive end.

2. Offensive rebounding

In a game where New York shot 43 percent from the floor and just 23 percent from three, second chance opportunities were extremely important. The Knicks were able to perform well in this area as the franchise ended up with 15 offensive rebounds. Josh Hart, who isn't extremely tall, led the franchise in this stat with 5 offensive rebounds.

With his lack of size, Hart needed a lot of heart and hustle to get offensive rebounds in this game. As he has done all season, Hart made up for the lack of physical attributes with effort. Achiuwa, who played well on the defensive end against Embiid was also able to do well on the offensive glass. The veteran center was able to end up with four offensive rebounds, showcasing his size on the glass.

While Isaiah Hartenstein went through foul trouble in this game, the center was able to control the offensive glass with three rebounds on that end. Hartenstein would likely have been able to grab more were it not for the aforementioned foul trouble. As a whole, the Knicks needed as many chances as possible, as they struggled to make shots. Even though the team struggled from the floor as a whole, their star produced one of the best offensive games in Knicks history.

1. Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson's performance in this game was likely good enough to be considered a top-three single performance in Knicks history. The star point guard ended up with 47 points, which was good enough to be the highest-scoring playoff performance in Knicks history.

During the first two games of this series, the All-NBA guard was unable to find his shot. This caused him to be a little non-existent on the court. In the last two games, the star has been able to find his shooting form and carry the franchise on his back on the offensive end. In Game 4, Brunson shot 52 percent from floor.

Yes, his three-point shooting in this game was quite terrible. Still, Knicks fans have nothing to complain about as Brunson was a scoring machine in a game where neither side could really do anything on the offensive end.