The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers are set to begin their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Knicks will host the 76ers in Game 1 of the best-of-seven set on Monday night. Both teams are heading into the series with momentum after closing out their first-round matchups with three straight victories.
Knicks’ Dominant Victory Over Hawks
The third-seeded Knicks advanced to the second round by dispatching of the Atlanta Hawks in six games. Their quarterfinal series concluded on Thursday night with a dominant 140-89 victory. The Game 6 victory was the most lopsided playoff win in Knicks history. New York opened a 47-point halftime lead, the largest ever in an NBA postseason game, and led by as many as 61 points in the third quarter.
The Knicks fell behind the Hawks with consecutive one-point losses in Games 2 and 3. However, they outscored Atlanta 380-284 over the final three games.
76ers Overcome Deficit to Upset Celtics
The seventh-seeded 76ers moved on by overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to stun the second-seeded Boston Celtics. They eliminated the Celtics with a 109-100 win in Saturday night’s Game 7. The fashions in which they advanced will provide the Knicks and 76ers plenty of momentum heading into the sixth all-time playoff clash dating back to 1968 between the longtime Atlantic Division rivals.
Knicks Favoured to Reach NBA Finals
The dominant closeout against the Hawks, coupled with the elimination of the Celtics and the surprising struggles of the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, have turned the Knicks into the favorite to reach the NBA Finals. The Knicks are the only Eastern Conference team to advance out of the first round in fewer than seven games. The Knicks haven’t made the NBA Finals since 1999 and haven’t won it all since 1973.
Reclusive New York owner James Dolan indicated reaching the NBA finals was the minimal expectation by firing Tom Thibodeau last June, just days after he led the Knicks to the conference finals last year for the first time since 2000.
76ers’ Unexpected Playoff Run
Nobody knew what to expect out of the 76ers, who went 24-58 last season. They missed the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2017. Philadelphia, keyed by rookie shooting guard VJ Edgecombe and fifth-year star point guard Tyrese Maxey, reached the playoffs despite stars Joel Embiid and Paul George combining to play only 75 games due to injuries and George’s drug suspension.
The postseason trip looked like it might be a short one for the 76ers when Embiid missed the first three ga
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said, “When we’re locked in, playing close to our best, we’re really, really good. So, it’s about finding that team, that version of us consistently.”