After Bleacher Reports’ Dan Favale, Kyle Lowry was the next to back Brunson on one of three All-NBA teams for season-ending awards.
Philadelphia’s defense gave credence to Lowry’s support.
“Send him some bodies. Show him the bodies. He still has a few and-ones. He still has some shots to make, and he’s an All-NBA guy, an All-Star, a guy who’s going to be a dominant presence in this league for a long time,” Lowry told reporters after the 79-73 win against the Knicks. March 10.
Their consistent double teams held Brunson to 19 points on 6-of-22 shooting.
“It’s a tough team down there,” Lowry said. “They have an All-NBA superstar who will basically try to win the game and can win any game for them. And we just tried to limit it as much as possible, which is hard to do. We stuck to the game plan and stayed in our zone, and made big shots down the stretch. And Kelly Oubre Jr. kicked ass.”
Brunson rebounded in the rematch two days later. The Knicks star rebounded with a 7-of-12 shooting night for 20 points in a dominant 106-79 win over Lowry and the 76ers on March 12.