The Knicks are catching Philadelphia at a good time for their NBA equivalent of a doubleheader.
The reeling 76ers have dropped three straight and 15 of their past 21 heading into consecutive games at MSG, including Sunday’s 7 p.m. tipoff on ESPN.
Following Friday’s defeat against the Pelicans — which included a 35-point deficit in the first half — Sixers coach Nick Nurse went off on his team’s “soft approach.”
“You’ve got to play tougher than that. You’ve got to put your nose in there, drive it in the paint, try to get to the foul line, or draw some defense and kick it out to somebody that’s open. So I thought we had a soft mentality on offense,” Nurse said. “We tried to jump shoot our way to a lead early, and you can’t count on that. And then we didn’t execute the defensive schemes. Not a very good combination.”
Their struggles lately coincided with the knee injury to Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP who has no set return date from meniscus surgery and will miss both Garden games.
The status of Tyrese Maxey, who missed the past three games after suffering a concussion, is up in the air for Sunday, but Nurse seemed optimistic about his All-Star’s availability, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Either way, this set is important for the Knicks (37-26) before their schedule turns road heavy.
They’re fourth in the East but just two games ahead of the No. 7 Sixers (35-28), who are an X-factor in the playoffs because of Embiid’s possible return, but are trying to avoid the play-in tournament.
Two wins over the slumping Sixers — with the second game Tuesday, also on national TV (TNT) — would place the Knicks in a solid position ahead of their Western Conference road trip.
Over eight days beginning Thursday, they play road games against the Trail Blazers, Kings, Warriors and Nuggets.
The Knicks will probably be underdogs for three of those contests, excluding against the miserable Blazers.
A 2-2 trip would be a victory for Tom Thibodeau’s squad.
But before that, two games against Embiid-less Philly are definitely winnable.
The Knicks, who already won twice in Philadelphia, are trying to sweep their regular-season series for the first time since 2015-16.
Miles McBride took the minutes and Alec Burks lost them.
In Friday’s dominating win over the Magic, McBride, who is playing some of the best ball of his career, was the clear backup guard while scoring 14 efficient points in 19 minutes.
“He’s done terrific,” Thibodeau said. “He continues to get better. He’s played really well, he plays both sides of the ball. He’s getting valuable experience. He can play with Jalen [Brunson], he can play without him. He’s done a really good job.”
Burks, meanwhile, missed both of his shot attempts and was reduced to five minutes, with zero in the second half.
He’s shooting 31.6 percent since joining the Knicks, with as many turnovers as assists.
Shake Milton, another newly acquired guard in the buyout market, made his Knicks debut Friday in garbage time.
Thibodeau lauded the effort of Isaiah Hartenstein after the Orlando victory, saying the center played his best since his latest Achilles flare-up.
Hartenstein, who is dealing with pain he likened to tendinitis, has been under a minutes restriction while ramping up to be 100 percent by the playoffs.
Friday, he logged 20 minutes with five points and three blocks.
“He practiced really well [Thursday]. I always say when somebody practices well, they play well,” Thibodeau said. “[The Achilles pain] is something he’s managed for two years. So hopefully it moves forward.”
Jericho Sims logged 28 minutes at center, including 17 straight in the second half of the blowout. He’s also been playing better lately.
