Jalen Brunson Keys Knicks' Blowout Win vs. Joel Embiid, 76ers as NBA Fans React to Game 1 Rout

The NBA is often called a make-or-miss league, and boy were the New York Knicks making them on Monday night.

Jalen Brunson (35 points) led a scoring barrage in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as the Knicks annihilated the Philadelphia 76ers, 137-98.

The Knicks shot a whopping 63 percent from the field (53-for-84) and 51 percent from three (19-for-37), with Josh Hart the only starter to not hit double-digit points.

Paul George led Philly with 17 points, while Joel Embiid finished with 14 points and Tyrese Maxey had just 13 points. Embiid and Maxey shot a combined 6-of-20 from the field.

So comprehensive was the blowout that Nick Nurse sat the majority of Philly's starters with a few minutes left in the third quarter before letting the reserves handle the entirety of the fourth.

Fans and pundits alike were eager to discuss New York's dominance in Game 1:

It's hard to imagine the Knicks playing much better than this as the series progresses, or the Sixers—who had a quick turnaround after their seven-game series against the Boston Celtics, which finished on Saturday night—playing much worse.

The Sixers were also prone to no-shows in Round 1, losing twice to the Celtics by more than 30 points. They'll contend that a loss by 30 or a loss by two counts exactly the same.

The Knicks, meanwhile, have been excellent since falling into a 2-1 hole against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

They also fell into that hole in the first place, of course, and there's a lot of series left. But nobody is beating the Knicks if they continue to play offense at this level.