76ers vs. Knicks: 3 Things That Stood Out on Christmas

What stood out for the Sixers in their matchup against the New York Knicks?

Sunday marked the first time the Philadelphia 76ers played a Christmas Day matchup since their battle against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2019-2020 season.

This time around, the Sixers faced their Atlantic Division rival, the New York Knicks. Earlier in the season, the Knicks and the Sixers met for a November matchup at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly. Without Joel Embiid and James Harden, the Sixers struggled to overcome the Knicks.

On Sunday, the Sixers had both stars back in the mix while missing Tyrese Maxey. Once again, Maxey was ruled out early in the matchup as he continues to recover from a fractured foot. 

Through the first half of action on Sunday, the Knicks were in control of the matchup. Led by Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, the Knicks got a stellar effort from their stars, especially Randle, who scored 25 points in 19 minutes of action.

Three quarters into the game, the Sixers had yet to take a lead. While they bounced back after a lackluster first quarter and remained on the heels of the Knicks throughout the entire matchup, Philadelphia wouldn’t take its first lead until the fourth quarter.

Early on in the fourth quarter, there was a momentum shift in the Sixers’ direction. Once the Sixers got out in front, they never looked back. A once 14-point lead for the Knicks turned into New York trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Sixers went out on top, snagging a 119-112 win over the Knicks. 

Here’s what stood out during the matchup.

The Big Man’s Dominance

Joel Embiid is back in the MVP conversation after a slow start to the year by his standards. With the whole basketball world watching on Sunday, Embiid once again showed the NBA that he’s one of the most dominant players in the game.

Leading up to the Knicks matchup, Embiid has averaged 34 points, nine rebounds, and four assists while draining 54 percent of his shots from the field and 48 percent of his threes in 11 games since returning from a four-game absence due to a mid-foot sprain.

Without Embiid’s offensive dominance on Sunday, the Sixers don’t come close to winning their road matchup at MSG. The big man kept the Sixers in the game when things weren’t looking bright. Through the first three quarters, Embiid scored 31 points through 26 minutes. In the fourth quarter, the supporting cast stepped up and rewarded the big man with a victory.

Embiid finished the game with 35 points in 40 minutes.

James Harden’s Playmaking

The ten-time All-Star continues to put an emphasis on his passing and playmaking this season. Last Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden dished out a career-high of 21 assists. He followed up that performance with another double-double in New York City.

In 43 minutes, Harden produced 13 assists. To no surprise, it was a game-high. Credit to the Sixers’ shooters for making their shots, as the team drained 51 percent of its field goals on Sunday, but Harden continues to steer the 76ers’ offense in the right direction with his playmaking. 

Georges Niang’s Spark

For the second-straight game, the 76ers’ bench went from having a quiet first half to playing a large role in a big-time win.

In the first half, Sixers guard Shake Milton led Philadelphia’s bench with eight of its 12 points. Sixers sharpshooter Georges Niang had just one make on three shot attempts. With Doc Rivers going away from PJ Tucker in the fourth quarter for the third-straight game, Niang collected 12 minutes of playing time down the stretch, and he earned every minute.

Harden’s been searching for the hot hand when the Sixers need a spark, and Niang was that guy in crunch time on Sunday. Embiid might’ve carried the Sixers’ offense through a majority of the matchup, but Niang was the closer on Christmas.

In 22 minutes of action, the veteran drained six of his 11 shots from the field, with four of his baskets coming from beyond the arc. Niang wrapped up the afternoon with 16 points. 12 of those points came during the fourth quarter, where Niang helped the Sixers rally past the Knicks with a 24-16 run. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.