Sixers-Knicks Game 2: Joel Embiid injury updates; NBA playoff schedule, bracket

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The Philadelphia 76ers fell, 104-101, the New York Knicks in Game 2 of their first-round NBA playoff series.

The Knicks lead 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 35 points while Joel Embiid added 34 points.

They’ll play again Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center (7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia).

Knicks’ final sequence seals Sixers’ loss

The Sixers led by five with under a minute to go. Knicks fans were already headed for the exits, and the series looked like it was headed to Philadelphia tied 1-1.

Now, the Sixers are down 2-0 in the series, thanks to a wild sequence with two consecutive three-pointers from Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo, a clutch steal from Josh Hart, and an offensive rebound from Isaiah Hartenstein.

Sixers fall to Knicks, 104-101

Knicks get edge with Embiid off the floor

The Knicks took their first lead of the game on a slick off-the-glass finish by Jalen Brunson with about four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Unsurprisingly, it happened when Joel Embiid was off the floor — which continues to be an issue for the Sixers during this series.

Embiid came back in the game with 29 seconds to play in the period, and was fouled and made both free throws. He remained in the game to begin the fourth, sinking a three-pointer in the opening minute.

— Gina Mizell

Knicks take over lead in third quarter

Joel Embiid continued to score at will in the third quarter, with 13 points. Unfortunately for the Sixers, no one else managed to do the same. The rest of the Sixers squad combined for just 8 points in the third quarter.

On the other end of the floor, Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein caught fire. Hartenstein scored 10 points in the third and DiVincenzo added seven of his own to give the Knicks their first lead of the game, picking up for an inefficient Jalen Brunson.

Josh Hart powering Knicks’ offense

Josh Hart continued to buoy the Knicks’ offense, scoring 19 points in the first half of Game 2 on 4-for-5 shooting from behind the three-point line.

The Knicks needed the effort because leading scorer, Jalen Brunson, struggled once more from the field.

First half observations

1. Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid combined to play 39 of a possible 48 minutes in the first half. So, there’s a good look at what it means to be questionable on an NBA injury report.

2. Maxey continues to come out of his shell and evolve as a player. When Embiid was on the bench, he took the offense completely into his hands, the Sixers sending four guys down onto the baseline and basically telling Maxey to do your thing, call us if you need anything. He hasn’t always looked comfortable in that role, but the kid has always been a fast learner. His improved below-the-rim finishing ability has been a key development in his game.

Celebrity row roundup

Courtside at the Garden is the closest an NBA game can get to the red carpet, and come playoff time, virtually everyone sitting courtside is an A-lister.

All the stars come out, from the longtime die-hard Knicks fans to celebrities that just want to be seen.

Maxey shines as Sixers carry lead at halftime

The Sixers collapsed in the second quarter on Saturday. But that wasn’t the case on Monday.

Tyrese Maxey continued to shine, adding 11 points in the second quarter, and Joel Embiid finished off a first half double-double — and earned the ire of fans at the Garden.

Knicks try to bait Embiid into second technical

Near the midpoint of the second quarter, Donte DiVincenzo flopped Joel Embiid into a technical foul by hitting him with a subtle shoulder after drawing a shooting foul on Embiid; Embiid shoved DD away with the ball, and DiVincenzo acted as if he’d been hit by a city bus.

The Knicks immediately sent Isaiah Hartenstein downcourt to harass Embiid as the ball was being inbounded at the other end, clearly trying to bait Embiid into a second technical. The Sixers ran a revenge set for Embiid, who botched it.

Embiid hit with technical foul

Joel Embiid gets hit with a personal foul and, after shoving Donte DiVincenzo with the ball, a technical foul. Knicks fans then begin chanting a request for someone to bear Embiid’s children. It was quite vulgar and not at all gracious.

— Mike Sielski

Knicks’ and Flyers’ organizations alike?

Random observation: The Knicks and the Flyers are very similar franchises.

Both were great long ago. Both have passionate fan bases who hold on to that glorious past. And during their home games, both show lots of highlights from, like, the 1995 conference semifinals.

— Mike Sielski

Sixers lead after first quarter while keeping Brunson quiet

Tyrese Maxey showed no signs of the illness that made him questionable to play Monday’s game, jumping out of the gate shooting 3-for-3 from three-point range and giving the Sixers an early 9-0 lead.

Joel Embiid also started off hot with 12 points and seven rebounds, silencing concerns about his knee injury after going 2-for-11 in the second half in game one.

Maxey and Embiid look fine

Joel Embiid (knee) and Tyrese Maxey (illness) were listed as questionable before Game 2.

Embiid had nine points and seven rebounds in 10 minutes.

‘Shoot ’em up, sleep in the streets.’

When he was still Villanova’s head coach, Jay Wright had a pet saying for his top scorers: “Shoot ’em up, sleep in the streets.”

What he meant was, ‘Nova’s best players had carte blanche to take just about any open shots they got, and if they missed them and kept missing them, well, that’s the cost of doing business.

Buddy Hield’s lack of production should concern Nick Nurse

What purpose is Buddy Hield serving?

Why is he on the court?

Knicks didn’t win Game 1 because of Brunson

Tom Thibodeau and Nick Nurse made their careers as defensive experts.

The three defensive strategies that mattered most in the Sixers/Knicks series that began Saturday night involved how to slow down reigning MVP Joel Embiid, his All-Star teammate, Tyrese Maxey, and Knicks MVP candidate Jalen Brunson.

Sixers need to learn from Game 1 woes

Jalen Brunson, the Knicks’ star guard, missed 18 of the 26 shots he took in his team’s 111-104 Game 1 victory over the Sixers. But his coach, Tom Thibodeau, brushed off Brunson’s subpar performance as a byproduct of chance. Kid had a bad night. Oh, well.

“He had good shots,” Thibodeau said Monday, before Game 2. “If they’re overcompensating for him, we’ll have second shots.”

Maxey will play in Game 2

Tyrese Maxey will play in the Game 2 matchup against the New York Knicks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, according to multiple sources.

The 76ers’ All-Star guard worked on the court around 5:50 p.m. for the 7:30 game. Asked if he was going to play, Maxey said, ‘I hope so!’ He took his padded undershorts that he wears during games out of his locker and walk into an adjacent room to put them on.

Nick Nurse on Game 2 uncertainty around Embiid, Maxey

Joel Embiid left Saturday’s Game 1 midway through the second quarter with an apparent knee injury. After tearing his meniscus earlier in the year, the sight of Embiid hurt on the floor holding his knee scared Sixers fans — until Embiid returned to start the second half. Despite the return, Embiid is still questionable for Game 2, and Monday morning at shootaround, the Sixers got even more bad news — Tyrese Maxey was also questionable for Monday night’s game with an illness.

Both Maxey and Embiid are game-time decisions and went through pregame warmups. But the Sixers’ game plan with their two best players looks very different from a game plan without them. Does That uncertainty make game preparation more challenging for head coach Nick Nurse?

Tyrese Maxey will be a game-time decision

Tyrese Maxey will be a game-time decision for the Sixers’ Game 2 matchup against the New York Knicks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

The All-Star guard was working out on the court around 5:50 p.m. for the 7:30 game. This comes after he was listed as questionable for most of the day and missed the morning shootaround with an illness.

Paul Reed on calling Knicks ‘easier’ team: ‘I’m not worried’

If Joel Embiid is public enemy No. 1 to New York Knicks fans, Paul Reed is a close second.

Both 76ers centers received “[Bleep] You!” chants for the Madison Square Garden sellout crowd Saturday during Game 1 of the teams’ first-round series. The expectation is Knicks fans will continue chanting in Monday’s Game 2 and if the series heads back to the Big Apple for Game 5.

Gov. Shapiro offers Maxey some get-well soup

Stephen A. Smith will be sitting courtside for tonight’s Sixers-Knicks game

Tonight’s Sixers-Knicks game is airing nationally on TNT, but that won’t stop Stephen A. Smith from being in attendance. 

The ESPN talker and former Inquirer writer announced on First Take Monday he’ll be sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden to root on the Knicks, who he already proclaims will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Joel Embiid injury updates

Joel Embiid is listed as questionable on the Sixers’ injury report, but is expected to play tonight against the New York Knicks. His status is listed as day-to-day.

Embiid had yet another injury scare in Game 1, landing awkwardly on his left leg following a dunk in the second quarter. He left the game and returned in the second half, but only score 11 points after intermission, missing all five of his fourth-quarter shots.

Former Villanova stars on both sides of the court tonight

There’s a lot of Villanova flair on both sides of the Knicks-Sixers series.

Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo star for the Knicks, and Kyle Lowry is finally suiting up for his hometown team in his 18th NBA season.

Madison Square Garden had some scoreboard issues to straighten out

The Madison Square Garden floor was ready when 76ers players and coaches arrived for shootaround ahead of Monday’s Game 2. But about 30 minutes prior, that looked dicey.

The massive video board was on the floor. Courtside chairs were not yet set up. And arena workers were pushing mops across the floor.

Tobias Harris on the Sixers being out rebounded by the Knicks

The Knicks are one of the NBA’s top offensive rebounding teams, averaging a league-best 12.7 offensive rebounds per game in the regular season – and that skill was on display on Saturday night at the Garden.

New York gathered 23 offensive rebounds in game one, led by seven from Mitchell Robinson and five each from Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein, which allowed them to score 26 second-chance points. The Sixers had just nine offensive rebounds and eight second-chance points, a big gap in an otherwise tight 111-104 loss.

Tyrese Maxey misses shootaround, questionable to play with an illness

Tyrese Maxey is questionable for tonight’s Game 2 matchup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The 76ers All-Star guard missed Monday morning’s shootaround with an illness. The Sixers will be at a huge disadvantage if the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is unable to play.

Three things the Sixers need to clean up against the Knicks in Game 2 tonight

The film largely confirmed what Nick Nurse saw in real time as his 76ers’ down-to-the-wire Game 1 loss to the Knicks unfolded Saturday night.

The coach remained pleased on Sunday afternoon with much of the Sixers’ schematic execution. He wished that his team had made more wide-open shots down the stretch, and that the Knicks had not drained theirs. And he lamented that the Sixers allowed New York to dominate the boards, aka “play to one of their strengths, like, absolutely to the max.”

Sixers-Knicks playoff schedule

Game 1: Knicks 111, Sixers 104

Game 2: Sixers at Knicks, Monday, 7:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia and TNT)

Game 3: Sixers vs. Knicks, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia and TNT)

Game 4: Sixers vs. Knicks, Sunday April 28, 1 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia and ABC)

Game 5: Sixers at Knicks, Tuesday, April 30, TBD (TBD)

Game 6: Sixers vs. Knicks, Thursday, May 2, TBD (TBD)

Game 7: Sixers at Knicks, Saturday, May 4, TBD (NBC Sports Philadelphia and TNT)

– Rob Tornoe

76ers vs. Knicks: Start time, how to watch and stream Game 2

The 76ers look to even their first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks tonight in Madison Square Garden.

The game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia beginning at 7:30 p.m., with Kate Scott and Alaa Abdelnaby on the call.

Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Here’s how things stack up in the Eastern Conference heading into Monday’s games:

(No. 1) Boston Celtics have a 1-0 lead on the (No. 8) Miami Heat

(No. 4) Cleveland Cavaliers have a 1-0 lead on the (No. 5) Orlando Magic

(No. 3) Milwaukee Bucks have a 1-0 lead on the (No. 6) Indiana Pacers

(No. 2) New York Knicks have a 1-0 lead on the (No. 7) Philadelphia 76ers.

2024 NBA playoffs schedule

Conference semifinals: Begin May 6 or 7, but could end up starting as early as May 4, depending on the results from the first round (ABC, ESPN, TNT)

Conference finals: Begin May 21 or 22, but could begin as soon as May 19. (ABC, ESPN, TNT)

NBA Finals: Begin June 6 (ABC)