Jalen Brunson scores 47 points as Knicks stun 76ers, 97-92, to take commanding 3-1 series lead

It was Brunson who received M-V-P chants on the road, and as hard as Sixers fans tried to drown them out with boos, they failed, as did their team.

And of the 281 teams in NBA playoff history to take a 3-1 series lead, 268 of them — 95.4% — have gone on to win the series.

If the Knicks are to follow suit, as they are now positioned to do in the driver’s seat of this series, it will be because of Brunson, who is playing like the MVP candidate he became this season.

The first-time All-Star guard hung a legendary 47-point performance with Sixers legends Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Allen Iverson, as well as South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley watching baseline, cheering on the home team.

Brunson shot 18-of-34 from the field and dished 10 assists with only one turnover on the night, setting two Knick records: first 45-point game by a Knicks player in the playoffs, and first 40-point, 10-assist game in the playoffs.

It marked his second successful scoring game against a Sixers defense that had his number in Games 1 and 2 at Madison Square Garden. Game 3’s 39-point performance fell on a disappointing 11-point loss, but Sunday would be different.

Sunday, Brunson became teflon.

OG Anunoby scored 16 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and added 14 rebounds, and Miles McBride added 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown off the bench.

The Knicks got little scoring elsewhere: Josh Hart missed all seven of his shots, Donte DiVincenzo shot 3-of-11, Precious Achiuwa missed all five of his attempts, and Bojan Bogdanovic hurt his ankle in his first minute on the floor.

But Hart added 17 rebounds and five assists and played elite defense all night. Achiuwa closed the game for Isaiah Hartenstein, who picked up five fouls late in the third quarter,

Embiid finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks, and Maxey added 23 points and six assists.

The Knicks out-rebounded the Sixers, 52-32, despite missing Mitchell Robinson, a game-time scratch with a sprained left ankle.

The Knicks now have a chance to close out the series back at home with Game 5 looming on Tuesday.