Batum also was more essential in Philadelphia’s Play-In victory – he scored a season-high 20 points, including 6-for-10 from behind the arc. But Batum, wrapping up his first season in Philadelphia, helped the team go 36-24 when he played, compared to 11-11 otherwise. Harris, the 76ers’ veteran forward, was at his best this season in the 22 games that Batum, an even more veteran wing, didn’t play: 20.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.8 assists. Hart’s net rating: 57.7.įor the 76ers: Tobias Harris vs.

Get ready for a nosebleed from Hart’s on/off numbers: In the 156 minutes he was on the floor against the 76ers, New York had an 81.5 defensive rating. He’ll be as essential in this series as in their four regular-season meetings. The Hart the Knicks got against Philadelphia was the best Hart, the guy who averaged 12.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists while playing 39 minutes.

He’s not on anyone’s Kia MVP ballot at that level.įor the Knicks: Josh Hart. Against Philadelphia, those numbers drooped to 22.3, 40% and 30%.

It’s unlikely they’ll shut him down, but even a little dip in production could throw New York’s offense out of whack.īrunson averaged 28.7 points and shot 48% overall (and 40% from 3-point range) this season. Perimeter guys aplenty - from Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry to Kelly Oubre Jr., De’Anthony Melton and Nicolas Batum - can pester him and spread their fouls if all else fails. But the 76ers have several players who can take turns in the tank against him, throwing different looks and fresher legs at the Knicks’ motor. There is no “Jalen Brunson stopper” on Philadelphia’s roster (or on most other teams, frankly). Though New York ranked last in pace, pushing the ball is its best chance of wearing out Embiid. So what are they to? Defy the trend in the playoffs and rev up their play. The Knicks’ best overall defender, OG Anunoby (6-foot-7, 235), will best help elsewhere. He and Isaiah Hartenstein will do what they can to hold their ground. New York has its own big man back in Mitchell Robinson. He’s still a load, and the leisurely pace of this series - nine days to play the first four games - will be the best thing short of a spa stay to ease his aches. He’s back now and, though he isn’t in peak condition, he did have six games to ramp up for this series. The Sixers sank in the standings and, despite Tyrese Maxey and others stepping up, knew their postseason fate would hang on the 7-footer’s availability. Then he missed two months due to his left knee injury. Most of that came in the first half of Philadelphia’s schedule - it was 25-6 when he played, 3-7 when he didn’t. That 76ers squad went 31-8 in the games he played. The second-best team has been Philadelphia with Joel Embiid. It’s been said that the second-best team in the East this spring hasn’t been New York, Milwaukee or any of the other guaranteed seeds lined up behind Boston.

This will be the 10th playoff meeting of these franchises and the first since 1989. The Knicks’ victories came by margins of 36, 14, and 27 points. The Knicks won the season series 3-1, capitalizing on 76ers center Joel Embiid’s absence from three of the meetings. Meanwhile, New York has been off since Sunday. One of those was Philadelphia, which had to battle Wednesday with Miami (46) in the SoFi Play-In Tournament to secure the No. 2 seed over Milwaukee (49 wins), Cleveland (48) and three other teams that finished with 47 wins. The Knicks won 50 games to jump into the Eastern Conference’s No. What a difference three or four victories make. Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey form an All-Star-caliber matchup at guard.

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