The Philadelphia 76ers are home Friday night to take on the New York Knicks in their first group-stage game of the NBA Cup. The Sixers enter the front end of a back-to-back after defeating the Pacers Wednesday night, while the Knicks come off a 133-127 win over the Bulls that same evening.
Who: New York Knicks (2-3) at Philadelphia 76ers (4-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia
Watch: Amazon Prime Video
After a loss to the Pistons, the Sixers got back in the win column by defeating a short-handed Pacers team, 114-109, on Wednesday night. Four players scored at least 20 points, led by Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 27 points, five rebounds and four assists. Despite an inefficient shooting night, Maxey remains the team's most dangerous late-game scoring threat. Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid are also averaging more than 20 points per game early in the season, hardly a surprise given their offensive capabilities.
For the Sixers to be successful, they need to find ways to involve all their stars in the starting lineup. More importantly, however, they need to establish consistency on both ends of the floor.
The roster wasn't necessarily expected to be among the league's defensive elite, yet five games into the season, Philadelphia has emerged as one of the better defensive teams. The team's defensive rating and points allowed rank among the league's top five, despite an offense that ranks in the bottom third in several key categories. The challenge now is developing greater offensive consistency while maintaining that defensive stability.
After losing to the Sixers on opening night, the Knicks dropped two more games to begin the season 0-3. With consecutive wins over the Pistons and Bulls, they've started to resemble the team that won a championship last season rather than the one that struggled out of the gate. Much of that improvement comes down to Jalen Brunson leading the way. Despite having a talented roster that has played together for some time, the Knicks still go as far as their leader can take them.
When Brunson is at his best, he's one of the league's most difficult players to defend. His ability to draw contact, exaggerate contact on drives and create opportunities at the free-throw line can frustrate opposing defenders. Teammates such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges have also shown a willingness to use physicality and contact to their advantage.
With only reserve Jose Alvarado expected to miss Friday's game, the Knicks should have nearly their entire rotation available to pressure a Sixers team that has relied heavily on its starters. If New York can maintain its recent shooting form, move the ball effectively and apply consistent defensive pressure, it could get some revenge for Philadelphia's opening-night victory.
The Sixers and Knicks have developed one of the NBA's more compelling rivalries. From Knicks fans traveling to Philadelphia in large numbers to the local connections among several New York players, there's no shortage of familiarity or competitive tension between these teams. With a new-look Sixers roster and heightened expectations on both sides, their matchups should remain entertaining throughout the season.
Although the Sixers remain short-handed, they have enough capable players to compete with New York and control stretches of the game. Their focus must remain on improving their movement, offensive flow and shooting when the starters share the floor, while forcing the Knicks into mistakes and foul trouble.
Head coach Nick Nurse also needs to do a better job managing his rotation. Embiid, Brown and Maxey have carried heavy workloads early in the season, which is concerning for a team that emphasized its depth entering the year. While Anfernee Simons has performed as advertised, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dean Wade need more opportunities to establish themselves and develop chemistry with their new teammates.
Against a Knicks team capable of pushing the pace and applying defensive pressure, Nurse must find a better balance between maximizing his stars and preserving their health over the long season.
Knicks 121, Sixers 113
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