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Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Even without Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers came into Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night and almost turned this series around. That’s what really matters.
Following a 137-98 loss in Game 1, Philadelphia’s immediate concerns were more about stability than skill. Could this team become comfortable with the series? Could they withstand the pressure of the playoffs against a Knicks team that was playing with an overwhelming sense of confidence?
The response was “yes” for the majority of Game 2. However, effort, energy, or even execution for extended periods of time did not make a difference in the final minutes. It was poise in the latter stages of the game.
Also, New York currently has greater faith in its identity than Philadelphia. Because of this, the Knicks’ 108-102 victory on Wednesday night gave them a 2-0 series lead.
Philadelphia finally looked comfortable in the series
It wasn’t schematic that changed the most from Game 1, it was sentimental.
Philadelphia appeared more composed both offensively and defensively, and they were far more equipped to handle the physicality and speed of New York. Rather of playing in a panic, the Sixers played with rhythm.
Tyrese Maxey, who struggled in the first game, responded exactly as Philadelphia wanted, and it was evident right away. Maxey scored just 13 points in the first game, but in the second, he scored 26 points while continuously attacking downhill and making New York’s defense adjust. He consistently generated offensive momentum for a team lacking its franchise centerpiece, scoring 15 points in the second quarter alone and finishing the first half with 19.
Everything else was stabilized by the offensive balance surrounding him. Paul George scored 19 points in the end. Late in the game, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points of his own, including a three-pointer in the fourth quarter that momentarily gave Philadelphia a 99-96 lead. Throughout the evening, rookie VJ Edgecombe continued to show that he belongs on this stage by scoring 17 points and providing energy on both sides of the court. Philadelphia produced enough offense to win even without Embiid and going forward, that is a significant development into this series.
The Knicks trusted the moment more
With 25 lead changes and 14 ties, this game was the most lead changes in a postseason game in 11 years. Neither side had a lead of more than seven points. The night was tense, muscular, and unsteady in every way. That’s precisely where Jalen Brunson flourishes.
After New York started focusing on Philadelphia’s switching defense, the Knicks guard, who finished with 26 points, took total control of the game. With just over five minutes left, Brunson made the game-winning goal, and with 3:45 remaining, he made another jumper to put the Knicks ahead 103-99. Mikal Bridges increased the lead a few moments later. The game was altered by that sequence. Not because Philadelphia fell apart, but rather because New York appeared more confident in the night’s most significant victories.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown stated, “They started switching a little bit and he got to his spots and scored a bucket and that’s what he’s expected to do for us.”
Right now, that’s the difference. When the pressure mounts, the Knicks know exactly where they want to go offensively. Without Embiid’s complete availability, Philadelphia is still searching for that solution.
The Sixers created enough offense, but they didn’t finish possessions
Compared to the first game, Philadelphia’s offense actually performed effectively for a good chunk of this game. The ball moved more smoothly. The spacing appeared more tidy. The pace was deliberate rather than hurried.
However, postseason games ultimately come down to brief windows of opportunity, and the Sixers were unable to take advantage of multiple crucial possessions in the fourth quarter. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse remarked, “I thought we had maybe four wide-open shots in a row that didn’t go.” “All we had to do was keep the scoreboard moving, and our attack was excellent. We simply failed to make the shot.
That’s what Philadelphia finds aggravating. This was not another Game 1 scenario in which the Knicks controlled every aspect of the game. In the closing minutes, the Sixers produced enough high-quality possessions to actually regain home-court advantage. When the pressure increased, they were just unable to convert and now those empty possessions rapidly become fatal against a team as self-assured as the New York Knicks right now.
Joel Embiid’s status now becomes the center of the series
Embiid was reportedly unable to complete the morning shootaround and was declared out prior to Game 2 due to right hip and ankle pain.
The Sixers are already under intense strain as the series moves to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. Because if Game 2 demonstrated Philadelphia’s ability to play sans Embiid, it also confirmed another point:
Without him, there is very little room for error. This series will instantly feel different if Embiid is well enough to anchor late-game offense, protect the paint regularly, and lessen the strain on Maxey possession-to-possession. If not, New York’s poise and offensive confidence might keep them in control of the most important situations during this same series as well as depending on whether Philadelphia can eventually equal New York’s performance under pressure, there are two very distinct paths.
This wasn’t about effort, it was about late-game certainty
On Wednesday night, the Sixers didn’t appear overpowered. They also didn’t appear damaged. Philadelphia appeared to be resolved for the first time in this series.
However, in the end, playoff basketball becomes more about trust than it is about corrections. Have faith in who you are. Have faith in your performance. Have faith in the person in charge of the largest assets.
The Knicks now have greater faith in themselves during those times. Even if the games themselves seem totally within reach, this series will continue to favor New York unless Philadelphia changes that immediately.
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Sports journalism student at the University of Oregon covering the Philadelphia 76ers with passion and perspective.
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