The last time the Philadelphia 76ers faced the New York Knicks, they lost in six games in the first round. This time, however, an even worse fate seemingly awaits Philadelphia, with the team down 3-0.
Game 4: How To Edge The Philadelphia 76ers Away From The Brink Of Collapse
The 76ers this postseason are no strangers to a back-and-forth series. Philadelphia won the first round in a grueling seven-game battle. This is despite the Boston Celtics being heavily favored to win the series.
As of now, this Eastern Conference semi-finals matchup looks more one-sided than ever. So what can the Sixers do to save their season?
Rebounding From An Early Deficit
Neither team shot 3s well in Game 3, with both the Sixers and Knicks combining for just 18 made 3-pointers. Regardless, after a quick downhill attack into a layup by Kelly Oubre, Philadelphia was off to the races, starting the game off on a 9-0 run. Scoring came easily to the 76ers, particularly Paul George. He scored all 15 of his points in the first half of Game 3. Philadelphia had the necessary momentum and energy as well. Knicks head coach Mike Brown called a time-out after two back-to-back Tyrese Maxey to VJ Edgecombe alley-oop dunks. However, Philadelphia’s hot start didn’t last.
Something that the Knicks did really well, however, was crashing the glass. The Sixers ended the game with just 33 rebounds, while the Knicks had 49.
Pulling down 13 offensive rebounds led to New York getting more than 20 second-chance points. This helped the Knicks cut the lead to four by the end of the first quarter and take an eight-point lead by the end of the first half. A highly underrated aspect of the game, rebounding was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Philadelphia in Game Three. Despite the Knicks notably dipping in offensive rebounds (going from sixth in the regular season to 13th in the playoffs), they have made up for it in other areas. The Knicks went from having the seventh-most second chance points in the regular season (16.3 per game) to the second-most in the playoffs (17.7 per game).
The Solution To The Sixers’ Woes
New York is very obviously an offensively potent team. However, when they do miss, it will be up to Philadelphia to take advantage, something that the 76ers have been lacking in.
Alongside Edgecombe, former MVP center Joel Embiid has been the Sixers’ leader in rebounds per game. However, Embiid has grabbed just 10 rebounds total in his two games in this series. Edgecombe has just 13.
The Sixers’ leading rebounder is Andre Drummond, who played 63 games this season and averaged 8.4 rebounds per game. However, Drummond has played just 28 total minutes this series. Fellow Sixers big man Adem Bona averages 4.3 rebounds in the regular season, in roughly 17 minutes a game.
Playing another big man alongside Embiid might be the solution to the Sixers’ rebounding woes. This will likely mean that George will be out of the starting lineup. George’s efficiency has not been the best, particularly in Game 2 and Game 3. With either Drummond or Bona playing, the 76ers might be able to bolster their rebounding and get more second-chance opportunities.
The Second Unit And Fatigue
The Sixers are heavily reliant on their starters to win games. In Game 3, just six players on the team played more than 20 minutes. Quentin Grimes remained the team’s sixth man, contributing six points in 22 minutes.
Despite Embiid playing well against the Celtics in the previous round, this can be chalked up to him being well-rested. The seven-footer played just 38 games this past season, sidelined by a myriad of injuries. This is the primary reason why Embiid, despite his All-NBA resume, has failed to make it past the second round of the playoffs in his 11 NBA seasons. The long seven-game series took its toll on Embiid, evident in his play this series.
This accumulated fatigue kills Philadelphia in late-game situations. As the starters get tired, the Sixers miss more shots, and the Knicks capitalize on their rebounding.
In comparison, the Knicks’ nine-man rotation is still quite short compared to many other teams in the league. However, Brown occasionally brings out veterans such as Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson to provide some spark off the bench. Their minutes also help starters such as Jalen Brunson catch their breath amid heavy minutes. This keeps New York’s stars fresher later into the game and helps them maintain their lead. Philadelphia must find a way to get their bench going if they want to survive the coming game.
The Open Shots
Thus far into the series, the Knicks have settled on a defensive strategy that seems to work quite well: double Maxey as he comes off ball screens.
Maxey mostly utilizes his speed when coming off screens. This is to either blow by defenders or catch them off guard, and pull up for 3. As doubles suffocate him, however, Maxey is unable to play either of his cards.
Despite getting open looks, Philadelphia has not proved to be an effective shooting team. This is likely due to their stars gathering more minutes by the end of games. It’s very simple, they need to knock down shots and make New York pay for giving them open looks.
The Last Word On The Philadelphia 76ers’ Adjustments
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse had this to say post-Game 3 (h/t Posting and Toasting’s Antonio Losada):
“We’re in a situation where we have to go out there and get the next one and see what happens. If you get one, it gets to 3-1, and then a series can turn pretty quickly. But we’re going to have to dig in and do some things better. We started out tonight playing great. But we had a bad stretch of defensive rebounding, and we gave up direct line drives. We just didn’t score enough. We didn’t keep the scoreboard moving.”
Nurse aptly sums up most of the Sixers’ problems so far in the playoffs. Their rebounding, short rotations, and defense have all been pain points throughout the season. The Sixers were tied with the Denver Nuggets for allowing 115.9 points per game, 18th best in the entire NBA.
Some of the Sixers’ issues are adjustments that can be made across a film session or solved through a change in lineups. However, it will prove a tall task to break a season’s worth of basketball vices in such a short period of time. Despite differing takes on New York’s championship aspirations, the Knicks are most definitely playing at a championship level. And as their season hangs in the balance, the 76ers will need a miracle to win one game, let alone push this series to a Game 7.
Featured Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
