The Philadelphia 76ers punched their postseason ticket with a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat. Wednesday’s play-in victory sets up a first-round matchup against the New York Knicks.
Had they lost Wednesday’s game to determine the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed, the 76ers would have faced the Chicago Bulls for a chance to play the Boston Celtics. Paul Reed is glad his team avoided that scenario.
“We ain’t ducking no smoke, but yeah, we wanted the Knicks matchup,” Reed said Thursday on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. “Of course, that’s the easier team.”
Reed, who scored six points off the bench Wednesday, said the series will be “fun.”
“We match up pretty well with them. They got a great guard (Jalen Brunson). We got a great guard (Tyrese Maxey). We also got Joel (Embiid), an MVP. … He’s one of the most unstoppable guys in the league right now.”
Reed’s comments may give the Knicks bulletin board material. They’re hardly pushovers after winning 50 games for the first time since 2012-13.
Yet it’s awfully difficult to dispute his point.
The Celtics are in a tier of their own following a 64-18 season. They finished the regular season first in offensive rating and third in defensive rating with the NBA’s highest average point differential (+11.4).
Fans have conversely wondered if the Knicks made their postseason path tougher by winning their final five games. They might have been better off hosting the Indiana Pacers or Orlando Magic than a 76ers team that’s won nine in a row.
Sportsbooks also agree that the situation unfolded well for Philadelphia. The 76ers opened as favorites to win the series on BetMGM, but most sportsbooks now list them at even -110 odds.
Madison Square Garden will host Game 1 on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.