The Philadelphia 76ers are in New York on Wednesday night to take on the Knicks, hoping to end their eight-game losing streak. The Sixers, decimated by injuries all season long, are facing an uphill battle against the Knicks, as they’ll be without Joel Embiid, Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry, and Eric Gordon. The Knicks have lost their past two games against the Celtics and Cavaliers and will be looking to get back on track against this Sixers squad.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (20-37) at New York Knicks (37-20)
When: 7 p.m. EST
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN
Latest on the Sixers
The Sixers are storming towards an epic end-of-season battle with the Toronto Raptors for the fifth-worst record in the league. Right now, the Sixers are coming on strong, having lost their last eight games, and have a tough slate of games on the upcoming schedule. The hope that was shared by Daryl Morey just after the trade deadline has faded, as the team just can’t get things together and pull out a win.
On Monday, the Sixers were blown out by the Bulls, 142-110, on another night when the team shot below 30% on its three-point attempts; there wasn’t a lot of good ball movement or defense. No matter which way you look at it, this team is not ready to contend, and it’s gone in the complete opposite direction from when the season started.
The idea that Paul George and Joel Embiid would team up with Tyrese Maxey, followed by a combination of talented youth and veteran leadership, has fallen apart. Everyone on the team has been injured at one point or another.
Maxey, despite being fifth in the league in scoring, is having the worst shooting season of his young career, yet it seems like he’s one of the very few who truly cares and tries. They should call him the Waterboy because, much like in the Adam Sandler movie, his coach must look at him and tell him that it’s all up to him because he can’t count on anyone else to make plays. Maxey, again, will go out and give his all for close to 40 minutes, but it won’t be enough.
Latest on the Knicks
The addition of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns prior to the start of the season was supposed to put the Knicks over the top this year after their surprising run in last season’s playoffs. While the Knicks are in third place in the Eastern Conference, that doesn’t say much, as the bulk of the conference is mediocre at best.
They’ve been more confusing than anything while blowing out teams like the Timberwolves and Nuggets but losing to teams like the Pistons and Jazz. Hosting the Sixers should be a welcome game for a team that has lost its last two to the conference’s top two teams, the Celtics and Cavaliers.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been all that the team had hoped for, averaging 24.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game on the season. While he’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game, the team shouldn’t miss him too much if he doesn’t play against a decimated Sixers squad. In addition to Towns, OG Anunoby is listed as probable with a foot injury, and center Mitchell Robinson will be out with an ankle injury.
What the Knicks do have is Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride, which will be more than enough against the Sixers. The Knicks will have an advantage in regards to shooting as they’re third in true shooting percentage in the league at 59.7% and sixth in three-point shooting at 37.4% while turning the ball over less than almost everyone except for a few teams. They’re also sixth in the league in rebounding, which, when it’s all added up, doesn’t bode well for the Sixers, and it looks like tonight should be pretty easy for them.
What to watch for tonight
Again, the shorthanded Sixers will have a hard time against one of the better squads in the conference, who are mostly healthy and can put points up quickly. The Sixers have to have better ball movement, and that will depend on how Paul George and Tyrese Maxey navigate the Knicks’ defensive pressure. While the signs point toward another blowout from the opposition, the Sixers could do well against a smaller Knicks squad if they can utilize their speed.
The difference maker in tonight’s game may come down to Kelly Oubre Jr., whose long-distance shooting has been abysmal of late. He’s still averaging 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game over his last 10 games. If Oubre can get hot early on while Maxey and George provide solid pressure, the Sixers could steal a win in New York.
While hopes aren’t high, the team has to start moving forward as they anticipate possibly being without Joel Embiid for the remainder of the year. If they’re going to break out of the slump and get back into the win column, they have to get back to the ball movement, defense, and speed that they had worked on in January while Embiid rehabbed a foot injury.
The team has to move the ball and take better shots, especially from beyond the arc. They’ve been horrendous from deep most nights and can’t seem to avoid getting into shootouts with teams that are much better equipped to play that style.
Prediction
Knicks 127 – Sixers 109
