The Eastern Conference first-round matchup between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers promises to be an exciting one, with both teams having impressive performances during the regular season. The 76ers, led by their MVP candidate Joel Embiid, secured a surprising seventh seed in the playoffs after a dramatic win against the Miami Heat in the play-in game. Meanwhile, the Knicks clinched the second seed with 50 wins and three victories over Philadelphia when Embiid was out.
Embiid had an impressive regular season despite missing 43 games due to injury. He finished with a 6-0 record and nine straight wins when he was in the lineup, leading the Sixers to a winning percentage of .800 (32-8) compared to their struggling record without him. Embiid averaged an impressive 34.7 points per game, which is slightly higher than league leader Luka Doncic's scoring output.
The Knicks, on the other hand, had a winning record against the Sixers in the regular season (3-1), with Jalen Brunson keeping Embiid under 30% shooting in two of their meetings. Nick Nurse acknowledged that the Knicks are a good team with fast players who can shoot and defend well.
The series schedule is as follows:
Game 1: Saturday, April 20 at New York, 6 p.m. Game 2: Monday, April 22 at New York, 7:30 p.m. Game 3: Thursday, April 25 vs. Knicks, TBD Game 4: Sunday, April 28 vs. Knicks, TBD Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 30 at New York, TBD Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, May 2 at New York, TBD Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 4 at New York, TBD
The Knicks and the Sixers have a rich playoff history with ten meetings since their first encounter in the NBA Finals in 1951. The last time they faced each other was in the first round of the 1989 playoffs, where Patrick Ewing led the Knicks to a four-game sweep over Charles Barkley and the Sixers.
This year's series is expected to be closely contested, with both teams having their strengths and weaknesses. The Knicks have home-court advantage and a solid roster, while the 76ers have Embiid's dominance in their favor. It will be interesting to see how these factors play out in the coming games.