The Philadlphia 76ers are set to take on the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Desbeing the seventh seed playing the second seed Knicks, the Sixers are considered equal, even the favorite by some outlets.
With questionmarks from Joel Embiid’s health to how the Knicks will manage without Julius Randle, there are plenty of ways this matchup could unfold. Here’s what the staff here at Philly Sports Network is expecting:
Tim Sullivan
Heading into the series against the Knicks, the Sixers, as a seventh seed, would be immediate underdogs, except with the recent return of Joel Embiid from his knee injury, the Sixers should look to be favored. The Sixers, with Embiid, are winning at .794 this season, which would be tops in the league.
If Embiid is able to get himself into better game shape for the series, the Knicks won’t last long. Embiid, even at 75%, should be enough if the rest of the team and their assembled depth are able to show up. After seeing how they beat the Heat, the Sixers should feel confident heading into the Knicks series and look to move on to the second round.
The Sixers will sweep the Knicks in four.
Andy Quach
The Sixers are far from a typical seventh-seed with Joel Embiid back, and the Knicks, without Julius Randle, have to run out of steam soon after making such a valiant push for the two spot. With Nick Nurse at the helm to remedy any lingering postseason offensive woes, Philadelphia should be able to clear their playoff demons with a convincing first-round victory over this hard-nosed Knicks crew.
Aaron “AB” Bell
Sixers start there playoff run tonight Game 1 vs. New York Knicks at Madison Sqaure Garden. The Sixers have some questions marks going into this series. Is Embiid healthy? Can Maxey be that number two? And will the role players continue to be dependable?
All these things can be awnsee once game one begins but for me the most important of them all is Joel Embid. The star big man has stired up quite the conversation pertaining to his health during the Sixers play in game vs the Heat. Although I believe it’s more so conditioning and just the lack of trust in his knee. If Embiid can continue to work towards bettering conditioning and overall trust in his repaired knee, Philadelphia will take the series.
I believe the Sixers will win this series against the Knicks in six games.
Uriah Young
The Sixers escaped a Miami loss in the play-in round by the skin of their teeth. If not for Nicolas Batum, Philly would face the Eastern Conference juggernaut and Boston Celtics. Still, a win is a win, plus they showed resilience down the stretch. New York is riding high on the meteoric rise of Jalen Brunson‘s All-Star success, but that won’t be enough against the Sixers. Although New York is playing great team basketball, thanks to their Villanova core, the 76ers have too much firepower with Embiid and Maxey for Tom Thibodeau to counter.
Brunson averaged 28.7 points per game this season, while Donte DiVincenzo averaged 15.5. This gap in primary and secondary scorers for New York is the biggest reason I give the Sixers a huge advantage.
The Knicks may sneak away with a win, probably at home, but I’m going with Sixers in five.
Trey Barnett
The Philadelphia 76ers are a seventhth seed that is ready to go to war with the second seeded New York Knicks. The Knicks had an impressive year, accumulating 50 wins despite injuries to Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby, in large thanks to Jalen Brunson’s incredible year. Yet, this isn’t a typical second seed versus a typical seventh seed.
The Sixers’ combination of defense and Star power means that the Knicks have a serious matchup on their hands. With Joel Embiid getting better and better every game since returning from injury and players like Tyrese Maxey, Nicolas Batum, and Kelly Oubre Jr. stepping up throughout the season, along with Nick Nurse’s tactical expertise —
— I will take the 76ers to beat the New York Knicks in seven games.
Justin Crosby
The Sixers come in having to EARN the seventh seed and the right to play the New York Knicks. There are questions about health for the Sixers and whether Joel is really healthy or not but the Knicks have their own injury concerns. Julius Randle is out for the season, and OG Anunoby has a nagging elbow injury. With eyes on Jalen Brunson and Joel Embiid, it will be Tyrese Maxey who swings this series.
The Sixers beat the Knicks in six games in a hard-fought bloodbath.
Zach Ciavolella
82 games plus the NBA Play-In are now in the books and the Philadelphia 76ers are facing the New York Knicks for the first time in 35 years. While Joel Embiid looked far from himself against the Heat Wednesday night, he still managed a dominant effort in the fourth quarter to seal the game. Against this NY squad, he’ll have to get going a bit earlier.
The Knicks, though a talented defensive squad, are not as zone heavy as the Heat are. While nothing will come easy for Philadelphia, they’ll still be able to rely on the dominance of their stars, and a strong pick game.
