Knicks Host 76ers in Playoff Rematch, Seeking a Turnaround
The Knicks got embarrassed this past weekend when they lost to the top two teams in the Eastern Conference the Cavaliers and the Celtics in games that weren’t competitive whatsoever. This further pushes the agenda that they can’t compete with the top teams in the league and will have a tough time competing for a title this upcoming postseason. They are now tasked with facing a familiar foe in the Philadelphia 76ers. Luckily for the Knicks, Philadelphia no longer looks like a powerhouse in the East by any means, they have lost their past eight games and sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. However, they cannot be overlooked as we have seen what they are capable of when they took the Knicks to seven games in the first round of last year's playoffs.
Game Insight
As I mentioned before this seems to be a mismatch across the board and the Knicks coming off two tough losses will not plan on showing any signs of mercy against a longtime rival. New York is up 2-0 in the season series and they look to continue to prove they are unequivocally more talented than this 76ers team. It will be interesting to see if any sparks fly or frustration builds as these teams definitely have some unfinished business from last season looming. It is important to mention that both Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid are listed as game-time decisions for this game so we will see if that could potentially influence the result.
Key Matchup
In last year's postseason matchup between these two teams, we saw the two-star guards Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey continuously outdo each other and amaze the NBA audience. There have been many comparisons of these two and arguments over who is more talented and provides more value to their team. Every time they face off I believe they are both more inspired in their play and attack the matchup with a certain chip on their shoulder that they aren’t always equipped with. Whoever can gain the upper hand here will contribute tremendously to their team’s efforts and be a visible outlier to the outcome of this divisional dog-eat-dog encounter.
