Knicks vs 76ers, Game 2 Preview: How, Who to Watch

The New York Knicks will look to take a rare 2-0 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mar 12, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles against / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart are used to bringing the spoils of spring victories back to Wells Fargo Center. Now, they'll get a chance to do it on a professional level.

The Villanova trio will seek to topple another lengthy drought for the New York Knicks, as they and the rest of the Manhattanites have a chance to take a 2-0 lead in a playoff series for the first time since 2013's opening round. Standing in their way are the Phiadelphia 76ers, who are eager to show that they're a seventh seed in name only.

Heroics off the bench took center stage for the Knicks in the opener on Saturday, as New York's three-man second unit outscored Philadelphia's equivalent 42-7 in what became a 111-104 victory. Miles McBride was responsible for half of that tally while Mitchell Robinson added 12 rebounds and four blocks. Brunson and Hart recovered well enough from early struggles to eventually lead the Knicks with 22 points each, the latter earning his final tallies on a pair of three-pointers that helped seal the deal in the closing stages.

Philadelphia, which saw a nine-game winning streak end, was paced by 33 points from Tyrese Maxey and 29 more from Joel Embiid, though the latter was just 2-of-11 in the second half after returning from a knee injury that saw him view the final minutes of the first in the visitors' locker room. Both are listed as questionable for Monday's game, as Maxey is also battling an illness.

What: Philadelphia 76ers @ New York Knicks, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 2 (Knicks lead series 1-0)

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When/Watch: Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT

Who's Favored: NYK -5

Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Keep An Eye On: Jalen Brunson

The Knicks managed to survive one of Brunson's more brutal shooting nights in recent memory, though they certainly don't want to make a habit of it. Brunson, of course, is the primary reason why the Knicks find themselves on the precipice of so many historic achievements and it's clear that they'll go where he takes. Like the Knicks as a whole, Brunson has often refused to let his slumps become anything lasting. He'll just have to sever his struggles on a much bigger stage this time around.

76er to Watch: Paul Reed

Reed infamously called for an "easier matchup" with the Knicks after the 76ers prevailed in the Play-In, but he hardly found it in Manhattan on Saturday: perhaps personifying the Sixers' struggles off the bench, Reed was a team-worst minus-21 in 11 minutes of action and failed to make a dent in Philadelphia's second-worst rebounding discrepancy it faced this season (minus-22). It's clear that Embiid isn't at 100 percent, so Reed is going to have make things look, dare we say, easier, if Philadelphia is going to have a chance in the paint.

They Said It

“For me really, it fits my game. I’m someone, just a regular person who goes out there and plays the game extremely hard, extremely passionate, and just resilient. I think that’s the biggest thing. I think that’s what this city is in general. That’s just how I feel like I am. I’m going to bring the energy, I’m going to bring the passion, toughness, and if I get knocked down, I’m going to pick myself up. Sometimes I might have to have my teammates pick me up. That’s just my mentality.”-Josh Hart on why he has fit so well in New York (h/t Steve Popper, Newsday)

Prediction

For all their lingering flaws, the modern Knicks have not been ones to squander opportunities, especially when it comes to dropping dubious streaks. Holding a 2-0 series lead seems like a small thing, but one can't truly tell Knicks fans to act like they've been there before ... thanks in part to the partial fact that some have never been there before. With the momentum of Game 1 still festering on Garden hardwood and the Embiid/Maxey tandem potentially ailing, it might be now or never for this Knicks group, especially with the daunting prospect of two games in Philly looming.

Knicks 102, 76ers 99

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