NEW YORK (Interstat) — Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and created critical baskets down the stretch as the New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

Playing without injured center Joel Embiid, the 76ers delivered a far more competitive performance than in Game 1, a 137-98 rout. The contest featured 25 lead changes, the most in a playoff game in 11 years, and 14 ties. Neither team led by more than seven points.

Brunson, who added six assists, broke a tie with a 17-foot pullup jumper with 5:06 left in the fourth quarter. He then hit another jumper from 16 feet with 3:46 remaining to give the Knicks a 103-99 advantage. Mikal Bridges followed with a 20-foot step-back jumper with 2:56 to play, pushing the lead to six points.

Philadelphia fought back and trimmed the margin to 107-102 on a driving layup by Tyrese Maxey with one minute left. After a defensive stop, the 76ers had a chance to cut further, but Paul George missed a 3-point attempt. Miles McBride made one of two free throws with 22.1 seconds remaining for the final margin.

The Knicks shot 40 of 79 from the floor (50.6 percent) and 7 of 26 from 3-point range (26.9 percent). They made 21 of 25 free throws. The 76ers shot 34 of 75 (45.3 percent) and 13 of 34 from beyond the arc (38.2 percent), but connected on just 21 of 28 free throws.

New York held a 10-8 edge in assists and a 10-8 advantage in steals. Philadelphia committed 18 turnovers to New York’s 13. The Knicks recorded two blocks and the 76ers six.

Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes. OG Anunoby scored 24 points with five rebounds and two assists. Mikal Bridges added 18 points and five rebounds. Josh Hart contributed five points, seven rebounds and six assists.

For Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey tallied 26 points, three rebounds and six assists in 47 minutes. Paul George scored 19 points with six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Kelly Oubre also had 19 points, five rebounds and two assists. VJ Edgecombe added 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Andre Drummond contributed six points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes.

The game began with a fast pace. Philadelphia scored 33 points in the first quarter to take a two-point lead. New York responded with 30 in the second quarter and led 61-60 at halftime. The teams traded 28-point third quarters, leaving the Knicks ahead 89-89 entering the fourth.

New York’s defense tightened in the final period, holding the 76ers to 12 points on 5-of-21 shooting. Philadelphia managed just one field goal over the final 4 1/2 minutes after Oubre’s 3-pointer tied the game at 96. The Knicks forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter and limited the 76ers’ transition opportunities.

The attendance was 19,812.

New York now carries a 60-32 record into the series, while Philadelphia stands at 50-42. The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday, May 8.

The Interstat game simulator projected a final score of New York 118, Philadelphia 106. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Knicks a 78.70 percent probability to win. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-7.5. The total score of 210 went over the over/under line of 213.5.