Playoff Game Preview: Knicks vs 76ers, Game 1, April 20, 2024

The NBA Playoffs are finally here! Tonight, the New York Knicks (50-32) host the Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) at Madison Square Garden to kick off the first round.

Philly narrowly defeated the Miami Heat, 105-104, in the play-in game on Wednesday. To beat Jimmy Butler’s bunch, the Sixers needed a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double from Joel Embiid and 20 bench points from Nicolas Batum.

The Sixers ended their season with an eight-game win streak. The Knicks closed their regular season campaign by winning six of their last seven. New York beat Philly three out of four tries, and the one loss was a weird 79-73 chuckfest. Their last matchup had a much better outcome, with the Bockers winning 106-79 on March 12

Projected Starters

In his fourth campaign as a pro, guard Tyrese Maxey (6’2”, 200 lb) averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds. Although he scored 35 points on February 22 against the Knicks, his effort was insufficient to help his team win. Containing Maxey will be a focus tonight, and if he starts to heat up, we’ll see if Tom Thibodeau sends in Deuce McBride to break his stride.

At lead guard for the Knicks, Jalen Brunson averaged 22.3 points and 7.8 assists against the Phillies this season. The NBA’s fourth-leading scorer, he should match his averages and then some tonight.

Veteran guard Kyle Lowry (6’0”, 196 lb) has averaged eight points and 4.6 assists in 23 games after being traded from Miami to Philly mid-season. The 38-year-old was mostly a dud in four games against the Knicks this season, but he might have saved some juice for the playoffs. Starting at shooting guard for New York, Donte DiVincenzo will look to carry over his blistering three-point shooting into the postseason.

Kelly Oubre, Jr. (6-7, 203lb) averaged 16.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in four games versus the Knicks this season. Both were upticks from his averages (15.4 and 5). Oubre’s a smug fella, and we wouldn’t shed tears if Josh Hart gave him a hard foul or two. (P.S. Robert Stack wants to know if they ever caught the driver who hit Oubre in November?)

Tobias Harris (6’8”, 226 lb) has had a so-so season in Philadelphia, averaging 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 70 games. It’s been four years since he scored 34 points in a game against the Knicks. Against New York this season, he averaged 6.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in four games. You just know that Julius Randle would eat the fading Harris for lunch in this series. Starting at power forward tonight: OG Anunoby, human wrecking ball. Advantage Knicks.

When he last played the Knicks, on January 5, Joel Embiid scored a double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Still recovering from knee surgery, the big fella looked hampered in the game against Miami but remained a force in the fourth quarter to secure the win. As for the Knicks’ center, Isaiah Hartenstein didn’t have a bad game when he last played Embiid, either, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four stocks. Here’s a supercut of his highlights from that affair:

Prediction

ESPN.com favors the Knicks by 56% to win this one. Seems fair. The Knicks are in their third postseason in four years, and even without Julius Randle, this is their strongest unit yet. The objective tonight will be to keep Embiid under wraps and slow down Maxey. Oubre will contribute 15-20 points, Buddy Hield might hit double-digits from the bench, and coach Nick Nurse is no slouch. Nonetheless, it’s a Knicks win. The starting frontcourt duo of Hartenstein and Anunoby, plus the reserve punch of Mitchell Robinson and (perhaps) Precious Achiuwa, will wear down Embiid and Philly in the paint. Look for Brunson to rack up 30 points, Donte DiVincenzo to add 20, and Josh Hart to cash in another double-double. Knicks by +4.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (50-32) vs Philadelphia 76ers (47-35)

When: 6 pm EST, Saturday, April 20, 2024

Where: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC

Watch: MSG, ESPN

Follow: @ptknicksblog