'Nova Knicks' earn big overtime win vs. Sixers

The Knicks went all-in on Villanova players last season, trading for Bridges at midseason after signing Wildcat Donte DiVincenzo during the summer. They're slightly less Villanova-heavy this year after trading DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns, though their center is still a Wildcat by playing his college hoops at Kentucky.

It's natural for the Knicks to look for players from these Villanova teams, who won two Big East tournaments and finished second in another from 2016-18, the Brunson-Hart-Bridges era at Villanova. All those games happened at the Knicks' home of Madison Square Garden.

The Kentucky Wildcats also made their presence felt Wednesday, even with Towns out. Sixers two-way player Justin Edwards played 35 minutes, scoring eight of his 10 points in the last seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Tyrese Maxey sent the game to overtime almost single-handedly, scoring 12 of the Sixers' final 15 points in regulation. He got Philly to OT with a steal and a bucket in the last seconds.

But ultimately the Philadelphia college alums triumphed in a replay of last season's first-round series. They could get a sequel this season, but their Kentucky Wildcats are going to have to drag the Sixers out of 11th place first.