PHILADELPHIA — With 4:31 left in the first quarter, Miles McBride checked into the game. By the end of the period, he had equaled a career-high with four 3-pointers.
It was a memorable stretch for the reserve point guard, who only broke into the rotation following the recent OG Anunoby trade that sent Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors.
“I think it was a matter of time,” McBride said after scoring 15 points and adding four assists in the Knicks’ surprisingly dominant 128-92 win over the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. “The more opportunities I get, I feel I’m going to continue to play better and make more shots.”
McBride was a big part of the win. He scored 12 points in a 14-4 run to close out the first quarter that turned a six-point deficit into a four-point lead. The Knicks never trailed again in the one-sided victory.
“We were hyped on the bench,” Jalen Brunson said.
It was a significant performance for McBride, who is still looking to carve out a role for himself in his third season with the Knicks.
For now, the defensive-minded guard is part of coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, though the Knicks are expected to add a scoring guard to the second unit prior to the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for me just being able to get into the rotation and really show what my capabilities are,” said McBride, who recently received a three-year, $13 million extension.
McBride’s 15-point outing was by far a season-high, the first time this year he had scored in double figures.
In fact, he had scored 42 points all season entering the game.
Most importantly, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by 20 points in the 14 minutes McBride was on the floor, and the bench as a whole performed well after a shaky effort against the Bulls.
Josh Hart was all over the court at both ends, producing 10 points, 15 rebounds and six steals and Quentin Grimes chipped in 18 points and eight rebounds.
“I feel like we all stepped up,” Hart said. “Second unit, we played like s— the last two games, so I think we all came in, brought great energy, were able to get stops, play fast, kind of get the momentum.”
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