After falling to the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon. The Philadelphia 76ers are now one loss away from being eliminated from the 2024 Playoffs. Additionally, they now have to go to Madison Square Garden. To do something they have not done all postseason, beat the Knicks on their home floor. If they want to do that, they need to implement these three keys into their game plan tonight.
76ers vs Knicks Game 5: 3 Keys to a Sixers Victory
Key One: Tight Perimeter Defense and Limiting the Knicks to One Possession.
Basketball is an amazingly simple sport, sometimes what you see is what you get. The last four games between the Knicks and Sixers have been determined by who wins the rebounding battle. The Knicks won the rebounding battle in games one, two, and four. While, the Sixers won the rebounding battle in game three. Whichever team wins the rebounding battle tonight will win this game. On the series, the Knicks are out-rebounding the 76ers 185-155.
For Philly that was their undoing on Sunday giving the Knicks multiple opportunities to put the ball in the basket. Also, if they can force the Knicks to be a half-court team like they did in game three and grab rebounds. Additionally, they have a great chance of winning this game tonight and avoiding playoff elimination. Beating New York in rebounding requires sending multiple bodies to box out and doing all they can to grab the 50/50 balls. Ultimately, the Sixers must commit to crashing the boards if they want to win this game tonight.
Key Two: Philly Must Win the Non-Embiid Minutes.
The second crucial factor that has determined which team wins each contest, is who can better survive the non-Joel Embiid and non-Jalen Brunson minutes. Philly has to win the non-Embiid minutes or at least survive them. Also, that requires them to get a role player to play well in MSG. Something that has not happened yet in this series. Additionally, a lot of the responsibility for Philly surviving those minutes relies on Tyrese Maxey’s production and another role-player setting up. In playing aggressively and putting points on the board. In game three that was Cameron Payne’s scoring output along with Maxey’s efforts that kept Philly afloat in the second quarter when Embiid sat down. That allowed the Sixers to increase their lead over the Knicks.
In a tight series like this sometimes role players have to play an outsize role in determining who wins. This is one of those series for the Sixers and either one or more role players have to step up. For them to avoid being eliminated tonight.
Key Three: Embiid and Maxey Must Have Big Nights
To avoid elimination the Sixers will need Embiid and Maxey to have dominant performances against New York. Also, for Philly to win this game tonight their superstar duo has to combine for 50 or more points in the contest tonight. Additionally, when they are both scoring. It creates high-percentage opportunities for their teammates. If their role players can cash in on those that adds another dimension to the Sixers offense. Philly has their backs against the wall, and to stay in the playoffs Embiid and Maxey have to put on a playoff legacy-defining scoring night. Additionally, if that happens tonight, they will be in great shape. To beat the Knicks in front of a raucous MSG crowd and shift the series back to Philly for game six.
