Miles “Deuce” McBride flattered Knicks HC Tom Thibodeau with his Playoff mode. After the rising star’s 21-pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers, Thibs went on an appreciation spree during the post-game press conference. The 23-year-old’s performance enabled the New York Knicks to orchestrate a 111-104 dominating win and when a reporter highlighted McBride’s work ethic, Thibodeau was all over the question!

He said, “Every time he got an opportunity, he has responded well… the defense is always going to be there, the hustle is always going to be there and the shooting, he has done an incredible amount of work… and it shows. Credits to him, he’s working extremely hard. He has got great versatility cause he can guard multiple positions.” Notably, he drained 5 three-pointers tonight to surprise Joel Embiid & Co.

Miles McBride came off the bench and put up a shooting masterclass with his 28-minute stay. Playing in his third season, the rising star produced his career-high of 29 points twice in the regular season this year. And today, he tallied his playoff-high score of 21 points. The 23-year-old is playing his 2nd playoff series, and it’s safe to say he has already made it to the headlines.

Speaking of his performance, teammate Josh Hart said, “That’s what we’re going to need for us to be successful… We’re going to need him coming off the bench being aggressive offensively, as well as defensively,” to ESPN after the game. The WVU basketball product still has a lot to prove in this series. Despite going into the playoffs as the #2 seed, the Knicks are considered to be underdogs in the first round.

The return of Joel Embiid boosted the Sixers’ odds for the series. Tonight, the Cameroonian-American dropped 29 points with 8 rebounds but didn’t get enough support from the bench. The 76ers bench could only pitch in 7 points while the Knicks’ bench contributed 42 points.

New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers match player stats

The bench made all the difference in tonight’s game. The Sixers’ Nicolas Batum, who had an impressive night in the Play-in Tournament, couldn’t shine tonight. Batum dropped 20 crucial points against the Miami Heat to qualify for the playoffs. Tonight, he had an off night, dropping 3 points with a 1-4 FG. Also, Tobias Harris, who rocked the regular season, averaging 17 points, scored only 7 points tonight.

On the other end, the Knicks had a complete night. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart led the offense by dropping 22 points each, supported by a 3-man bench unit. The Big Apple side has a lot to prove against the Sixers, especially after the statement from Paul Reed. Ahead of the series, Sixers’ Reed said, “We ain’t ducking no smoke, but yeah, we wanted the Knicks matchup, of course… That’s the easier team, I guess.” 

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Reed’s words weren’t completely destroyed as the Sixers defenders did make it difficult for Jalen Brunson. The Philly side put their defender Kelly Oubre Jr. and Batum on the 6′ 1 guard, eventually making him record a poor 8-26FG. Nevertheless, JB put his basketball mind to use and made the right plays at the crucial, enabling big buckets through Josh Hart and OG Anunoby.

The statement didn’t end well for the 24-year-old as the Game 1 went the other way. Will the Sixers save Paul Reed from embarrassment or did he talk too early? Let us know in the comments below.