The Philadelphia 76ers are in New York City to take on the Knicks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The Sixers took the long road, getting to the second round by beating the Boston Celtics in seven games, while the Knicks were only a bit faster, closing out the Atlanta Hawks in six games.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (0-0) at New York Knicks (0-0)
When: 8:00 p.m. EST
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
Watch: Peacock
After falling behind to the Celtics, 3-1, in the series, the Sixers and Joel Embiid had decided they'd had enough. The history of the Sixers and Embiid in the playoffs is a long and painful tale, but the center appears to have decided to start writing a new one for the team, its fans and, more importantly, for himself.
The Sixers have looked every bit as good and as tough as they were originally supposed to be when Paul George signed as a free agent, and then this past summer, when rookie VJ Edgecombe was drafted after last year's disastrous season. Those two players alone have been huge for the Sixers as they fought back and ultimately closed out the Celtics, a team that had been one of the best in the league all season.
With Embiid's return to health, George and Edgecombe combining to shut down the opposition on both ends of the court, and Tyrese Maxey following suit with another level of play, this Sixers team is more prepared to go on a deep run than at any time over the course of Embiid's career. Starting tonight, Embiid and company will be on the second leg of the centers' revenge tour, and that's not good news for the Knicks.
The Knicks started tough against a scrappy Hawks team, falling behind 2-1 in the series before completely blowing out the Hawks in their next three games. They've shot the ball well, distributed it well among their big names, and shut down the Hawks when they needed to most.
While the Hawks are a good team, the Knicks are running into a Sixers team hellbent on revenge, and Brunson has to step up if they're going to stand a chance.
The supporting cast of OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart has done very well for the Knicks to start the playoffs, and they'll need to be even better if the team is going to defeat the Sixers. Towns and Anunoby will have to make sure to keep the front-court of the Sixers in check, especially given that Embiid has felt better in each of the past few games.
After coming back against the Celtics and sending them to a much earlier vacation than they thought they'd be on, the Sixers now have their sights set on doing the same thing to the Knicks. The backcourt duo of Maxey and Edgecombe will be a tough one for the Knicks to manage, given the growth both players have shown over the course of the season and, more importantly, in the recent playoff series.
Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. will have their hands full with the frontcourt of the Knicks, but both have been playing some of their most complete basketball of late. If Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond, and Justin Edwards can give the starters a small spell of relief, contribute while on the floor, and provide some defensive pressure, the team can truly shut down the Knicks.
Then you have the real reason to watch the game, Joel Embiid. This seems like a different Embiid than years past. There's no uncertainty to his demeanor nor his game. He's recovered nicely after the emergency appendectomy he underwent nearly a month ago, and despite getting banged up in the series finale, he will be good to go for the full series.
The big difference now is that he's faced with a lack of accomplishments and takes being disparaged to a new level. He's out for revenge, he's out to change the way he's been perceived, and he's out for a title, and the next team standing between him and a championship is the New York Knicks.
Sixers 121 - Knicks 109
MORE: Sixers vs. Knicks: 3 X-factors for Philadelphia's second round matchup
