'An extremely grimy team.' 3 things to know about Sixers' NBA playoff opponent in Knicks
The 76ers advanced to the first round of the NBA playoffs after beating the Miami Heat 105-104 in the NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday night.
The Sixers will begin their best-of-7 series on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. Game 2 will be played Monday at 7:30 p.m., also in New York.
The Sixers (47-35) enter the playoffs as the No. 7 seed while the Knicks (50-32) are the No. 2 seed.
The Knicks won three of the four games this season. Each of the wins was by at least 14 points.
"They’re tough. They start at the head of the snake with Jalen Brunson," Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey said. "We gotta find ways to slow them down ... They’re an extremely grimy team. They play hard. They’re physical. They’re tough. That’s their identity. We have to match that and overcome that.
"They kicked our tail in the regular season, so it’s time to go in there and fight."
What's the schedule for the Sixers vs Knicks playoff series?
Game 1: Sixers at Knicks, Sat., April 20, 6 p.m., ESPN
Game 2: Sixers at Knicks, Mon, April 22, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3: Knicks at Sixers, Thurs, April 25, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 4: Knicks at Sixers, Sun, April 28, 1 p.m., ABC
*Game 5: Sixers at Knicks, Tues, April 30, TBD, TBD
*Game 6: Knicks at Sixers, Thurs, May 2, TBD, TBD
*Game 7: Sixers at Knicks, Sat, May 4, TBD, TNT
*-if necessary
3 things to know about the Knicks
1. Knicks have dominated the series: The Knicks have won three of the four games this season, and each victory was by at least 14 points. Joel Embiid played in only the first game, which the Knicks won 128-92, on Jan. 5. Embiid had 30 points and 10 rebounds in that game. The Knicks won 110-96 on Feb. 22.
The Sixers won 79-73 on March 10 but lost 106-79 on March 12.
2. Knicks have had injury problems, too: The Knicks played most of the season without forward Julius Randle, who averaged 24 points per game. Randle last played on Jan. 27 when he dislocated his shoulder, requiring surgery. They played long stretches without OG Anunoby, who's back in the lineup.
3. Donte DiVincenzo and the Villanova connection: Even without Randle, the Knicks won 50 games, their most since they went 54-28 in 2012-13. That's because they were led by Villanova alums in Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Delaware native Donte DiVincenzo.
Brunson led the Knicks in scoring at 28.7 points per game. DiVincenzo, the Salesianum star, averaged a career-high 15.5 points in his first season with the Knicks. DiVincenzo signed a four-year deal worth $50 million last summer after spending last season with the Golden State Warriors.
DiVincenzo also made 284 3-point shots, ranking third in the NBA behind only Golden State's Stephen Curry (357) and Dallas' Luca Doncic (284).
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: New York Knicks: 3 things to know about Sixers' NBA playoff opponent
