NEW YORK — Philadelphia’s incredible comeback story hit a major roadblock Monday night as the 76ers were demolished by the New York Knicks 137-98 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The crushing defeat mirrored Philadelphia’s start against Boston in the previous round, where they also dropped the opener in spectacular fashion before mounting the NBA’s 14th comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.
Playing with minimal rest after their Game 7 victory in Boston just two nights earlier, the Sixers looked completely drained from their historic run against the Celtics.
“Same as last series. They don’t get any extra points for going up big tonight,” veteran Paul George stated. “We’ll be ready for Game 2.”
Star center Joel Embiid and his teammates clearly felt the effects of the compressed schedule, appearing to run on empty throughout the contest. Head coach Nick Nurse had expressed uncertainty before tipoff about how the quick turnaround might impact his squad, noting that momentum can sometimes carry winning teams forward.
However, it became apparent early that fatigue would be a significant factor.
“You can’t make excuses, that’s for sure,” Nurse explained. “We knew it might be difficult, but you’re never going to go into the game and say this is going to happen. You’ve got to see it play out.”
The margin of defeat nearly set a franchise record for worst playoff loss, falling just short of their 121-81 defeat to Boston in 1982. Ironically, Philadelphia rallied to win that series as well, potentially offering hope amid the disappointment.
Their recent Boston series had seemed impossible after dropping Game 1 by 32 points, then suffering another 32-point loss in Game 4 when Embiid returned following his late-season appendix surgery.
The Knicks wasted little time establishing dominance, building a commanding 74-51 halftime advantage while shooting an impressive 65.9% from the field. The lopsided score at least allowed Nurse to rest his weary starters for extended periods.
“Coming from the series we had and the physicality we displayed, I would like to think that maybe guys were tired,” Embiid acknowledged. “But it’s not an excuse, though. On to Game 2.”
Embiid managed just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey, who had averaged 26.9 points in the first round, didn’t score his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter and finished with only 13 points on 3-for-9 shooting.
Philadelphia’s offensive struggles were compounded by defensive breakdowns. New York exploited Embiid’s limited mobility to generate open looks and capitalized on transition opportunities, outscoring the Sixers 16-3 in fast-break points.
“Yeah, we had breakdowns tonight, but they also shot the (heck) out of the ball,” George observed. “They were hot.”
While George refused to blame fatigue directly, he admitted the team faced what he described as a mental challenge.
“You go from a Game 7 and then one day off and then you’re right back into a matchup,” he said. “There was some carryover of us trying to get up and get prepared for this next matchup, but we should have came out and did a better job.”
