The Sixers came into New York and looked competitive for all of eight minutes before quickly getting out of hand, and they eventually fell by a final score of 137-98.
Philadelphia ran out of gas not long after the opening tip, following a seven-game series against Boston that was nothing less than a slog. That understandable lack of energy was only matched by how ill-prepared they were, which was the more damning issue.
Here’s what stood out.
The Sixers’ offense was a major struggle in every minute of this game. Nick Nurse and his team placed a heavy emphasis on forcing the ball to Joel Embiid in an attempt to get the Knicks’ bigs, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, into early foul trouble, which was the only success the team saw in this game.
While their foul-baiting strategy led to quick hooks for both of New York’s bigs, there was little else to Philadelphia’s offense. Tyrese Maxey was a non-factor, passing up shot opportunities one after another in the first quarter. After a similar experience in Game 4 against the Celtics, it seemed Maxey learned his lesson about the importance of remaining aggressive, but he regressed in this game, whether it was the game plan, a lack of legs, or whatever his reasoning was.
With plenty of help from Paul George, the Sixers were able to keep this game competitive for roughly eight minutes in the first quarter, but once they lost their legs, their defense went out the window, and the game rapidly grew more and more out of hand.
By the third quarter, Nick Nurse made the right decision to pull the plug on Game 1, giving the Sixers the best chance to recover, knowing his team could fight another day.
The Sixers will stay in New York and lick their wounds as they prepare for Game 2 on Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
MORE: Sixers-Knicks: 3 X-factors for Philadelphia's second round matchup
