The 76ers (0-1) are primed for their Game 2 rematch with the Knicks (1-0) Monday at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks took a 111-104 victory in Game 1 on their home floor Saturday, in a back-and-forth affair that saw the Sixers lead by as many as 13 points, and the Knicks lead by as many as 14. There were four lead changes and seven ties.
How does Tyrese Maxey (33 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk) think the rest of the series will look?
“A dog fight.”
“It was extremely physical out there,” Maxey added Saturday postgame. “Both teams want to win, and win big. We have big goals, both of us. I think this is one of the most competitive first round series that I’ve been a part of. We have a lot of competitors on this team, and our coach is a competitor too. It’s going to be a chess match.”
The Knicks benefitted from balanced scoring, with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart scoring 22 points each, while Miles McBride added a bench-high 21 points.
New York saw lopsided success on the offensive glass (a 23-9 offensive rebounding advantage). McBride led the Knicks’ bench to outscore the Sixers’ reserves, 42-7.
“Our coach is going to make adjustments, their coach is going to make adjustments,” Maxey said. “At the end of the day, whatever five is on that floor, we’ve got to go out there and compete their tails off.”
Sunday in New York, Kyle Lowry (18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), who won a championship alongside Nick Nurse in Toronto in 2019, had high praise for his head coach’s ability to make those adjustments:
“He just wants to win. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win. He’s going to put us in positions to be successful. He’s going to coach us, and coach us hard, because he loves to win.”
OPPONENT OUTLOOK
The Sixers held All-Star Jalen Brunson to shoot 8-for-26 from the field and 1-for-6 from long range. Brunson finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and a steal in his 41 Game 1 minutes.
Hart’s Game 1 double-double included his 22 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and a steal. He shot 5-for-12 from the field and 4-for-8 from deep, including a set of clutch threes down the stretch for New York. Hart played a team-high 42 minutes.
76ERS-KNICKS INJURY REPORT
Embiid (left knee injury recovery) is questionable for Game 2, while De’Anthony Melton (back injury recovery) and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) remain out.
Julius Randle (back injury recovery) remains out for New York.
SATURDAY’S TOP PERFORMANCES
Tyrese Maxey
- Maxey finished with a game-high 33 points, plus two rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. He shot 14-for-26 from the field and made both of his free throw attempts. Maxey played a game-high 44 minutes in Game 1.
- Embiid totaled 29 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals in his 37 minutes of play, finishing at a team-high +14.
Kyle Lowry
- Lowry tallied 18 points, plus four rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. He shot 5-for-9 overall, 4-for-7 from long range, and made all four of his foul shots.
- Oubre Jr. recorded 10 points, three rebounds, an assist, a game-high five steals, and a block in this 39 minutes.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Kelly Oubre on remedying the Game 1 offensive rebounding discrepancy in Game 2:
“We’ve got to muddy it up a little more. Get more physical. Hit guys, block out. Everybody has to come in and crash. It’s a five man job.”
FOLLOW ALONG
Monday’s Game 2 is a 7:30 p.m. EDT start in New York.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, TNT / TRUTV
Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic
UNIFORMS
Both teams are scheduled to wear their Statement Edition uniforms, with the Sixers in red and the Knicks in navy blue.
@SIXERS SOCIAL