GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Jalen Brunson and his New York teammates didn't allow injuries to defeat them. Joel Embiid of Philadelphia also refused to be defeated by his own injuries.
The Knicks and 76ers were hit with potentially season-altering injuries just days apart in January. The Knicks, who were having one of their best months in franchise history, lost starting forwards Julius Randle and OG Anunoby on the same day. Both required surgery, and Randle, an All-Star, was unable to make a comeback.
Embiid then suffered a knee injury and later needed surgery, causing the 76ers to slide down the Eastern Conference standings with uncertainty about when the reigning NBA MVP would return.
However, both teams not only recovered but also are entering a first-round series starting Saturday night at Madison Square Garden with strong momentum.
“I believe that our ability to rebound and succeed despite doubts is the essence of our team,” Brunson stated about the No. 2-seeded Knicks. “We've faced skepticism in the past, but we always manage to come out on top.”
The Knicks won their final five games to finish 50-32, overtaking Milwaukee on the last day of the regular season for their best performance since winning 54 games and clinching the No. 2 seed in 2012-13. Three days later, they learned that the 76ers had secured the No. 7 seed by defeating Miami 105-104 in a play-in game.
Embiid didn't dominate at his usual level when healthy, but he finished strongly and demonstrated why the 76ers are a more formidable lower seed as long as he's on the court. They won their last eight games of the regular season, with five featuring Embiid, who returned on April 2, and ended up with a 47-35 record.
The 7-footer played in just one of the 76ers’ three losses to the Knicks in the regular season, and was absent when New York won by 14 in February and by 27 on March 12. The Knicks also won by 36 in Philadelphia on Jan. 5, the only game Embiid played,
This was right after the Knicks acquired Anunoby from Toronto, sparking a 14-2 run in January.
“They play with intensity and physicality, they're resilient, and that’s their identity,” 76ers All-Star Tyrese Maxey remarked. “So for us to go in there and try to secure wins and win this series, we have to match that. Not only match it, but overcome it and surpass it with utmost physicality as well. I think we understand what we need to do. And they outplayed us in the regular season, so it’s time to go in there and battle.”
IT’S BEEN A WHILE
The Atlantic Division rivals last faced off in the postseason in 1989, when the Knicks swept the 76ers in the first round, which was then a best-of-five. There have not been many chances since then. The 76ers haven’t made it past the second round since reaching the NBA Finals in 2001. The Knicks were last in the conference finals a year earlier.
But the current players are aware of what to anticipate when the series begins at Madison Square Garden, just a short train ride from Philadelphia.
Kelly Oubre Jr. from Philadelphia said he's excited for the bright lights and the celebrities receiving free $100,000 tickets just to show up and not care about the game. He finds it fun and looks forward to it.
POINTS FROM THE POINT
This season, both Brunson and Maxey became first-time All-Stars. They are point guards who had many impressive performances during the regular season. Maxey scored 50 points or more three times, while Brunson had 11 games with 40 or more points, tying Patrick Ewing for the second-most by a Knicks player in a single season, and ranked fourth in the league with an average of 28.7 points per game.
PHILADELPHIA’S FINEST
NCAA championship-winning teammates Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo from Villanova will be playing in a familiar environment in Philadelphia.
Josh Hart expressed that Philadelphia always feels like home to him and his fellow Villanova teammates JB and Te.
During the regular season, the 76ers recruited Kyle Lowry, a former Wildcat from Philadelphia.
