The 2024 NBA Playoffs will tip off on Saturday and we’ll have an interesting first-round matchup in the Eastern Conference as the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers will battle the No. 2 New York Knicks in a best-of-seven series.
Philadelphia enters the playoffs as the seven-seed in the East and its season was defined by the health of reigning MVP Joel Embiid. The Sixers were one of top seeds in the conference in late January before Embiid suffered an injury to his lateral meniscus that sidelined him for the next two months. The likes of Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris had to hold down the fort and keep the team above water in his absence and he finally returned on April 2. Philly ended up winning eight straight games to end the regular season and a come-from-behind victory over Miami in the play-in tournament officially got it into the playoff field.
New York stepped forward with its first 50-win season in just over a decade and was able to secure the two-seed in the East. The driving force behind the Knicks’ surge this season was Jalen Brunson, who put up career numbers with 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game. The first-time All-Star headed up a fun lineup full of complementary pieces like Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and OG Anunoby, who was acquired from the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline. However, the team will be without All-Star forward Julius Randle, who dislocated his shoulder in January and officially had season-ending surgery earlier in the month.
Here’s an in-depth look at the matchup between the Knicks and 76ers, along with our prediction for the series. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Knicks vs. 76ers predictions
Odds to win series: 76ers -115, Knicks -105
Regular season record: 76ers 47-35, Knicks 50-32
Head-to-head record: Knicks 3-1
New York won the season series against Philadelphia, but it should be noted that the last three meetings came when Embiid was sidelined with his injury. Both teams are heading into the postseason hot and its a testament to their resiliency as both had to adjust throughout the regular season while dealing with injuries. As mentioned before, the Sixers’ role players managed to keep their heads above water without their leader while the Knicks had to maintain for a while without the services of both Randle and Anunoby.
An interesting quirk about this series is that despite their success, these two teams actually struggled against the better competition in the league. New York finished the season with a 21-28 record against teams above .500 while Philly posted a 21-26 record in that same category.
Pick: Knicks in 7 games
This is one of the toughest series to make heads or tails of in the entire first round. This New York lineup has gelled throughout the year and its rallied behind Brunson, who is on his way to being named All-NBA after the breakout campaign that he’s had. However, Philadelphia has the best player on the floor in the reigning MVP Embiid and Wednesday’s play-in game against Miami showed how tough it can be to put this team down even when its not playing at its absolute best.
Ultimately, I’ll give the Knicks the edge as the team with homecourt advantage. New York posted a 27-14 record at home this season and the environment at Madison Square Garden will be electric all series long. We’ve seen the Sixers fold in recent postseasons, so if the Knicks can absorb early punches and get this to a Game 7 at the Garden then I like their chances of getting the job done to advance.