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The Philadelphia 76ers arranged a showdown with the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs by eking past the Miami Heat 105-104. Philadelphia, which was repeatedly booed by its own fans, survived a lethargic first half to escape with a win. Nic Batum, a veteran acquired in the James Harden trade, made several game-shifting 3-pointers to pave the way to the win.
Batum took a backseat in the fourth quarter as Joel Embiid woke up from a quiet game. “The Process” hit a key triple, scored three points via the old-fashioned way and handed a crucial assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. After surviving the Heat, they will head to the Big Apple for Game 1 on Saturday against Jalen Brunson and Co.
Basketball fans quickly reacted to the looming showdown between two traditional Eastern Conference powerhouses:
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“Knicks in 5”
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One fan gave the simple reason why the Knicks will advance:
“Not a soul on that 76ers team can guard Brunson”
Lost Tribe Sports, an X, formerly Twitter, user promptly took a shot at the reigning MVP
“Depends if Embiid shows up”
Gringo declared:
“Team Embiid, Knicks about to learn who’s boss.”
@TLTBM boldly predicted:
“Knicks in 4”
New York will have home-court advantage but it will also not have Julius Randle, arguably the team’s best player. Randle tried to recover from a dislocated shoulder but eventually conceded he needed surgery to heal it. Tom Thibodeau has made adjustments to compensate for the star forward’s absence over the past two months.
While Randle is out, Joel Embiid has only returned from a long layoff due to a knee injury. The 76ers have been monitoring his minutes since he came back. How that surgically repaired knee will hold up in a seven-game series will likely determine the winner. Philadelphia looks headed to a long vacation if his knee issues flare up.
Series between the Knicks and 76ers could go the full route
The 76ers have “The Process” and a rising star in Tyrese Maxey with Nick Nurse calling the shots along the sidelines. To advance, though, they will have to overcome the New York Knicks’ home-court advantage and never-say-die identity. Philadelphia knows their opponents will not shoot themselves in the foot so it will have to go out and grab the series.
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo have done wonders for coach Tom Thibodeau this season. Without Randle, the trio has stepped up to drag New York to the No. 2 seed in the East. After their short-lived playoff run last season, they are more ready and raring to test themselves this time around.
New York versus the 76ers series looks to be evenly matched and could extend to a Game 7.
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