After the play-in games, the 76ers, ranked seventh, ended up being favored over the New York Knicks, the Eastern Conference's second seed, in their first-round best-of-7 playoff series starting on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
It's somewhat surprising because the Knicks won 3 out of 4 games in the regular season. The Sixers players have a feeling that starting the playoffs at the Garden is special, with many legends and celebrities attending games, including Spike Lee, a Knicks season ticket holder.
Sixers guard Cameron Payne expressed excitement about playing the Knicks and mentioned iconic battles at the Garden. He's looking forward to playing high-quality basketball there every day during the playoffs.
Joel Embiid, the Sixers center, did not play in three games against the Knicks in the regular season, and it affected the team's performance. With a scoring average of 34.7 points, he would have ranked second in the league if he had played enough games.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, known for leading Villanova to NCAA tournament championships, had an average of 28.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds, ranking fourth in the league in scoring. Guard Tyrese Maxey ranked 11th in scoring with a 23.7-point average.
Josh Hart and Dominic DiVincenzo, who also played for Villanova, are in the starting lineup for the Knicks.
The last time the Sixers and Knicks faced off in the playoffs was in 1989, with the Knicks sweeping the series 3-0. Charles Barkley was the star for the Sixers, and Patrick Ewing for the Knicks. The coaches were Rick Pitino and Jimmy Lynam. For younger fans, this was when gasoline was $1.06 a gallon.
The Knicks will have a tough time dealing with Embiid, who led the Sixers to a 105-104 play-in victory over the Miami Heat. The Knicks' players do not match up well with him in terms of size. If Embiid hadn't missed 29 games due to meniscus surgery, the Sixers would likely have been the second seed.
Embiid is not fully recovered after the surgery, but the supporting cast with players like Maxey, Kelly Oubre, Kyle Lowry, and Nico Batum have been contributing. The Sixers closed out the victory over the Heat with nearly error-free play in the final minute. Sixers coach Nick Nurse believes that Tobias Harris is still part of the team's late-game strategy, even though he was not on the court late in the game due to fatigue.
Defending against Brunson will require a group effort, and Nurse may consider using De'Anthony Melton at some point in the series, though not in the first game. Melton was practicing his shots during the shootaround on Friday.
"We're going to attempt to make him work," Nurse stated. "Many players will likely end up guarding him. We need to be prepared. He's had an incredible season and some amazing games, and he does it in various ways. He's going to score, make three-pointers, draw fouls, and play the entire game. He's a superstar in this league."
The Knicks dominate the offensive rebounding and will use a unique style of defense under coach Tom Thibideau, who concentrates on one side of the court to create a strong defense.
The Sixers have the momentum, winning a playoff game by making plays towards the end in a wild atmosphere at Wells Fargo Center. The Garden is expected to be similar, with even more celebrity star power.
"The fans are pretty wild," Oubre remarked. "They have a great culture of being enthusiastic and loving basketball at its core. They call it the Mecca of basketball for a reason. The lights are very bright. They even give celebrities $100,000 free tickets just to be there, regardless of the game. But you know, that's what they do. It's going to be extremely enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to it. It's one of my favorite places to play."
No one will enjoy the atmosphere more than Payne, who, if he's making three-pointers, promised not to taunt Spike like Reggie Miller, but instead, savor the moment.
"Hopefully I'll be making threes and I'll get to dance around in the Garden," Payne said. "That's always fun. Or do a backward jog down the court. I'm going to have a blast."
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The Sixers only won one of four games in the season series against the Knicks, and that victory was at Madison Square Garden. Joel Embiid didn't play in that game, nor in the other two losses. Although Embiid is still recovering from meniscus surgery, the Sixers are favored by 2.5 points in the first game, and according to FanDuel, they are expected to win in six games.
Unless there is an injury, this game is likely to go the distance. The Knicks are full of energy, the Sixers have many scorers, and to add to the mix, there are some older players. Embiid is 30, Tobias Harris 31, Kyle Lowry 38, Kelly Oubre 28, Nico Batum 35.
The home court advantage won't be as significant in this seven-game series as the Knicks' younger players, who have enough endurance and skill to push it to a Game 7. However, a Sixers team that does things the hard way will have the Knicks right where they want them.
Pick the Sixers to win in seven games.
