The Sixers find themselves in a 2-0 hole, but now the series moves to Philly as they look to find a way to beat the Knicks in Game 3
The Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks will tip off in what is a must-win game for the Sixers. Currently, the series sits at 2-0. A win for the Knicks would almost certainly mean a series victory as no team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit.
The Sixers head into this game fresh off a loss that can be attributed to officiating. Literally, the league has admitted that the referees screwed up not one, not two, but three calls in the final 30 seconds which resulted in the Knicks quite literally stealing Game 2.
We’ve seen frustration with officiating boil onto the court numerous times this season, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Sixers can put aside said drama and win in what is essentially a do-or-die game. If the first two games are a precursor, the Sixers should be due a healthy amount of calls on their home turf.
Officiating woes aside, it’ll be interesting to see how the Sixers approach this game from a game plan standpoint. Thus far they’ve done an excellent job keeping All-Star Jalen Brunson in check, who is shooting 29.1 percent from the field through two games. On the other hand, they’ve helped a lot off of Josh Hart who is shooting a blistering 53.3 percent from three. The Sixers have a choice of keeping their game plan and banking on shooting regression, or they can switch things up entirely.
Another thing to keep an eye on: the injury report. Joel Embiid is dealing with several things right now, none of which have kept him out so far. Tyrese Maxey is dealing with an illness and looked pretty sick while accepting his Most Improved Player award the other night. Kyle Lowry also had a nasty fall at the end of Game 3, although it seems like he’ll be alright. The Sixers have yet to rule out De’Anthony Melton for this series, and it’s possible he could make a return soon. Melton practiced with the Sixers Wednesday and head coach Nick Nurse said “there’s a chance he could possibly be available [for Game 3].
The Sixers have plenty of motivation as is to win this game, between referee problems and having their season on the line. Let’s see if they can even things up, starting with Thursday game.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, TNT/TruTV
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers
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