The Sixers knocked off the New York Knicks 125-114 in Game 3 to get their first win of the series.

They did so behind a 50-point performance from Joel Embiid, a playoff career-high. He did so shooting 13-of-19 from the floor while grabbing eight rebounds and four assists.

Tyrese Maxey had 25 points thanks to a big third quarter while also going for four rebounds and seven assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points shooting 6-of-8 from the field.

Here are some thoughts from the Center.

First Quarter

• This time it was the Knicks who started off the game hot offensively, making four of their first six shots of the game. New York’s dribble penetration once again opened up a lot of open floaters for Isaiah Hartenstein. Philly kept pace with Embiid able to muscle his way to the basket. Kelly Oubre Jr. also finally started to knock down some shots.

• While some of the reviews in the quarter felt a bit much, Embiid is genuinely lucky he didn’t get tossed. He grabbed Mitchell Robinson’s legs from the ground as Robinson went up for a layup. It’s a good thing Robinson wasn’t injured either because that just wasn’t a smart or safe play from Embiid, who had let the hostility of the building take over him.
• It might be time to put Buddy Hield on ice for this series. He missed another wide-open three — he’s yet to get on the board in that department this series. He even struggled to drive past Jalen Brunson and missed the layup when he finally got to the rim. You just can’t get nothing out of a guy whose only skill is scoring. The Sixers trailed the Knicks by two after one.

Second Quarter

• Nick Nurse must have felt it was time to mix things up as well, because Cam Payne was out there to start the quarter. It gave the Sixers the spark they needed, as he knocked down a couple of threes right upon checking into the game.
• The Knicks did a lot to get Jalen Brunson switched off his primary defender, but he also did a better job of making shots. He shot 7-of-15 in the first half, easily making it his best half of the series so far.

• A couple more hard fouls and Robinson was hobbling around the court worse than Embiid. The Sixers were able to successfully attack him in space and get points every time down the floor until the Knicks finally went to Precious Achiuwa. The only problem was, the Sixers weren’t getting any stops themselves on the other end of the floor.
• It’s incredible the Sixers can still have such little attention to detail on inbounds passes after Game 2. They had to waste a timeout after Maxey took the ball out of bounds and no one was there to get the ball. The other four guys were well across halfcourt before they even turned around.
• Once again offensive rebounding wasn’t lopsided, but it hurt the Sixers in big spots. They gave the Knicks two extra chances on the last possession. This let the Knicks push their lead to three before the half as opposed to giving the Sixers one more chance to go out in front.

Third Quarter

• Philly got a 9-2 run going shortly out of the half that they badly needed. They needed Maxey to get going as well after shooting 3-of-10 in the first half, and he did by grabbing a pick-6 than knocking down a stepback three.
• Philly hit their fifth three of the quarter at the 4:37 mark. That was a big lift after only hitting five from beyond the arc all first half. Unfortunately for them, Josh Hart once again got hot at the same time so they weren’t really able to pull ahead.

• As the three pointers kept falling, the Sixers got a ball or two to bounce their way as well. Embiid got a lob through to Oubre despite it being deflected multiple times. Embiid hit his fourth three of the game to give the Sixers a 13-point lead after three.

Fourth Quarter

• Not only was Cam Payne a sparkplug on offense the Sixers needed, but his hustle on defense paid off as well. He blocked two shots on the night, the second making up for a bad turnover he had that nearly gave the Knicks a free basket. Nurse got very bold at the start of the fourth, very briefly running a lineup without Embiid or Maxey on the floor.
• Embiid’s return did bring the lead back up to double digits. He drew Hartenstein’s fourth and fifth fouls in quick succession, bringing Achiuwa back into the game. He knocked down another three trying to draw a foul on Brunson.
• The Knicks were still shooting more than well enough from deep to stay alive though. They were hovering around 50% for most of the night, but Kyle Lowry had some big shots down the stretch to buoy the lead. He hit both free throws this time, and got free for a midrange jumper on the next possession. Both Embiid and Nico Batum split a pair of free throws, but the Sixers were able to survive the final minutes without any more disasters.
• Down, but not out. The Sixers can even up this series when Game 4 tips off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET from the Center.