Knicks vs 76ers Playoff Series Outlook

New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The seven seed Philadelphia 76ers are heading to the big apple as they are set to play in the two seed Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

                  The 76ers are coming off of a far shorter break than the Knicks after having to play the Miami Heat in their Play-in matchup to secure the seven seed and a matchup against the Knicks.

                  This is one of the many series in this year’s playoffs that should not be overlooked just because it is a high seed vs a low seed. The Philadelphia 76ers are a very good team and are entering the playoffs as the NBA’s most dangerous team in the league entering the playoffs with nine straight wins.

                  The 76ers were one of the hottest teams in the league earlier in the season until their star center Joel Embiid went down with a meniscus tear. And with Embiid returning, this team should not be taken lightly.

                  This series is bound to be one of the most exciting in this year’s playoffs as the Knicks are not the two seed for no reason. The Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson has been on fire over his last 20 games as he has averaged 33.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

                  This Knicks team is coming into this playoff series without one of their star players in Julius Randle who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in early April after he dislocated his shoulder on Jan. 27.

                  The scariest part about this series for the Knicks is that Joel Embiid is still not 100% after coming back from his injury but has still been helping lead his team to wins since his return.

                  The Knicks have been studying and scheming to prepare for their matchup against Embiid.

                  Knicks center, Isaiah Hartenstein, said that they know what Embiid is going to try to do to get his buckets in this series.

                  The Knicks won the regular season series against the 76ers 3-1. But Embiid only played in one of the matchups which ended up being a 36-point win for New York.

The keys for the Knicks to win this series are:

·      Get Jalen Brunson the ball as much as possible.

·      Good center play from Isaiah Hartenstein.

·      Slow down Embiid as much as possible.

·      Keep their big-man rotation out of foul trouble.

The keys for the 76ers to pull off the upset are:

·      Get Embiid going early.

·      Force the ball out of Brunson’s hands.

·      Attack the Knicks drop coverage on the Maxey x Embiid pick & roll.

·      Attacking the boards early.

Game one of this exciting matchup of two eastern conference powerhouses will air on April 20th at 6pm EST.