Sixers vs. Knicks: Second round schedule and why this series is going to be war

No rest for the wicked. The Sixers just completed one of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history on Saturday night in Boston and now they have to turn around and play the Knicks on Monday.

Less than 48 hours between closing out a 3-1 deficit in Game 7 at TD Garden and tipping off a second-round series at Madison Square Garden. The NBA doesn’t care about your feelings or your recovery time.

Game 1 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden on NBC and Peacock. Here’s the full schedule.

Sixers vs Knicks – Second Round Schedule

• Game 1: Monday, May 4 at 8 p.m. ET at New York on NBC/Peacock
• Game 2: Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. ET at New York on ESPN
• Game 3: Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET at Philadelphia on Amazon Prime
• Game 4: Sunday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Philadelphia on ABC
• Game 5: Tuesday, May 12 at New York
• Game 6: Thursday, May 14 at Philadelphia
• Game 7: Sunday, May 17 at New York

The Matchup…

The Knicks went 53-29 during the regular season as the three seed. The Sixers split the regular season series 2-2 and neither team won at home, which is interesting. Edgecombe was outstanding in both Sixers wins at Madison Square Garden, which bodes well for a series that starts with two games in New York.

Nick Nurse called the Knicks’ starting lineup “incredible” and said their rebounding is going to be a major problem. He also pointed out that New York is a much bigger team than Boston, which is going to present different challenges for a Sixers squad that just spent seven games dealing with the Celtics’ perimeter-heavy attack.

The Knicks play more physical, more inside-out basketball with Jalen Brunson running the show. The Sixers are going from defending three-point barrages to defending post-ups and offensive rebounds. It’s a completely different series.

About that series in 2024…

The Knicks and Sixers met in the 2024 playoffs and New York won a brutally tight six-game series. Embiid dropped 50 in Game 3 to get the Sixers their first win. Maxey scored 46 in an overtime miracle in Game 5 to force Game 6.

The Sixers couldn’t close it out and the season ended at MSG. That series was two years ago but the memory of it is going to fuel both sides heading into Monday night.

Embiid had some of his best playoff moments in that 2024 series. Maxey had his legendary MSG game. The Sixers know they can compete with this team in this building.

They’ve done it before.

The Sixers Have Momentum but the Knicks Have Rest

The biggest concern heading into Monday is fatigue. The Sixers just played a seven-game series where Maxey logged 45 minutes in Game 7, Embiid played 34 minutes three weeks after surgery, and George competed through illness for 42 minutes.

This team is running on adrenaline and willpower right now. The Knicks have been sitting at home waiting for their opponent since wrapping up their first-round series. Fresh legs against tired legs in Game 1 is a real factor.

The flip side is that the Sixers are playing with the kind of belief and confidence that only comes from surviving what they just survived. This team came back from 3-1 against the Celtics. They won three straight elimination games. Embiid hit a dagger three in Game 7 and waved off TD Garden. Maxey closed the game with two driving layups on fumes. You can’t manufacture that kind of momentum and it carries over regardless of how tired your legs are.

What Has to Happen

Embiid has to continue being the hub of the offense. The Knicks are bigger than the Celtics, which means Embiid’s post game becomes even more important. If he can command doubles against New York’s bigs the way he did against Boston’s, the kick-out threes will be there for Maxey, Edgecombe, George, and Oubre.

The bench has to give them something. Grimes, Edwards, Drummond. The bench was a liability against Boston for most of the series and the Knicks have a deeper rotation. If the Sixers are going to compete in a seven-game series against New York, they can’t survive on a six-man rotation. The starters will break down.

Edgecombe has to keep being Edgecombe. The kid thrives at MSG. He was outstanding there in both regular season wins. If he brings that same energy in the playoffs, the Knicks are going to have a serious problem containing the Sixers’ backcourt.

The Sixers are massive underdogs again. Nobody outside of Philadelphia thinks they can beat the Knicks after going seven games with the Celtics. Good. That’s exactly where this team wants to be. They’ve been counted out all postseason and they keep proving people wrong.

Monday night at MSG. Let’s ride.

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