Game Preview: New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers, February 22, 2024

I have to be honest. I’m not quite sure how, or what, do I feel about this team and the season right now.

A month ago, the Knicks looked like a top-five team in the league as they were dismantling teams left and right, and I was on cloud nine. And one month from now, I could be feeling the exact same way. But right now, as the Knicks head into their first post-All-Star game, there’s just an amalgamation of strange feelings which is, no pun intended, strange, considering where New York is right now.

Currently, the Knicks are 33-22, good for fourth in the East and eighth in the League, and we just got to witness Jalen Brunson make and compete in his first All-Star game. Yet we come out of the break being quickly thrust back in to the reality that the Knicks are just 5-5 in their last 10 games, on a four-game losing streak, and still weeks away from being fully healthy. And things don’t get any easier going forward.

Tonight, New York takes on a Sixers team that is just half a game behind them in the standings. Now, interestingly enough, both teams do look extremely different from the ones that met up on Jan. 5, when the Knicks came away with a dominant 36-point win against Philly. New York is missing multiple key pieces in the form of Julius Randle and OG Anunoby and Philadelphia is still without Joel Embiid, who was by far the leading MVP candidate before he went out. But the Sixers, even without Embiid have a solid team. They did drop games to the Nets, Mavericks, Warriors, Hawks, and Heat before the break, so they are definitely beatable, but they did also manage to take down the Cavaliers, who have clearly been the best team in the league since we entered 2024.

Prediction

With both teams missing it’s star big men, expect a back-and-forth battle between Tyrese Maxey and Brunson. Both will be asked to shoulder a heavy load offensively and it should be fun to see the two All-Stars go head-to-head.

That being said, both coaches and defenses will likely key in on them and try to make the others make plays. For Philadelphia, that will most likely mean Tobias Harris and newcomer Buddy Hield, and for the New York, it’ll likely continue to come down to Donte DiVincenzo (who Tom Thibodeau expects to have back) and Josh Hart.

While this game will feature a pair of All-Star reserve guards, it could very well come down to which supporting cast can do more to help them. New York, with some much needed rest, should have enough to take down a Sixers team that has yet to fully get used to life without Embiid. I don’t think it’ll be particularly convincing or pretty, but I have the Knicks taking this one 120-115 to finally get back on the winning track.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers

When: 7 pm EST, Thursday, February 22, 2024

Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Watch: MSG

Follow: @ptknicksblog