The Sixers finished up their Abu Dhabi preseason series against the New York Knicks, falling to the Knicks with a final score of 112-104. While the Sixers put up much more of a fight in this game compared to their loss on October 2, they still were not able to overcome the Knicks without their stars, Joel Embiid and Paul George. The Sixers will now look forward to their next preseason game against the Orlando Magic on Friday, October 10, in Philadelphia.
Game Recap: The First Half
The Sixers opened today, starting Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona. Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe both had some solid plays in the first, and Andre Drummond ended up making an impact, being the first sub after Adem Bona landed himself in foul trouble. That being said, after giving up two big runs to the Knicks, the first quarter ended with the Sixers down by 9.
In the second quarter, it was more of the same. Philadelphia struggled to keep up with the Knicks as they fell further behind, ending the first half down 60-47.
Game Recap: The Second Half
In the third quarter, the Sixers started eating away at the Knicks' lead, finding new energy when Andre Drummond hit a corner three in the face of his defender. From that point, they went on a light run, outscoring the Knicks 11-6 to end the third. This brought the game to a manageable score of 82-75 to end the quarter, with the Knicks still leading.
The Sixers began the fourth quarter down, but thanks to the momentum swing in the third, and some big-time plays from E-10 signee Malcolm Hill, they were able to climb back into the game, bringing the score within five late in the first. However, after a missed layup by the aforementioned Hill, the Knicks held on to win the game 112-104
2 players to watch this preseason:
Malcolm Hill
Malcolm Hill was extremely impressive in the fourth quarter of this game, hitting two big threes and a floater. With a smooth three-point shot and more professional basketball experience than most two-way guys, the former Illinois Fighting Illini forward has all the tools and the drive to potentially justify rewarding his play with a two-way contract into the season. Last year for the Birmingham Squadron in the NBA G League, Hill joined the 50/40/90 club while scoring 23.4 points a night. If he can clean up his defensive communication and improve as a driver, he could end up being another key contributor on a two-way deal for the Sixers.
Kennedy Chandler
Kennedy Chandler was another late addition to the roster, signing his Exhibit 10 deal at the same time as Hill. While he is far from a perfect player, he made a real impact late in the game for the Sixers with his drives. He also got some run early in the game, letting Tyrese Maxey play off-ball. While Chandler still needs to clean up his ball security, and the Sixers' guard rotation is currently stuffed, Chandler could prove to be an interesting option for the Sixers should they have to deal with any injuries at the guard position.
