[ad_1]
The Philadelphia 76ers look to continue their season by hosting the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Knicks were seconds away from advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals in Game 5. However, Tyrese Maxey’s burst took the game to overtime, and then the 76ers took the game to overtime, 112-106.
Throughout this series, the Knicks have been the team that makes all the big plays late in games. In the second game, the 76ers led by five, but New York scored the final eight points of the game. One area the Knicks have been very good at is rebounding, but they were outscored Tuesday night, 46-40.
This series has been extremely competitive. Despite losing 3-2, the 76ers dominated the Knicks 534-532 in five games. Just as New York could have won Game 5, Philadelphia could have won Games 2 and 4.
The minutes of star players on both teams have been very high in this series. In Game 5, Tobias Harris (49), Joel Embiid (48) and Tyrese Maxey (52) spent a lot of time on the court. For Embiid, it could be difficult as he suffers from Bell’s palsy and a knee injury. This will be the first playoff game in Philadelphia since last year’s devastating loss to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the 76ers as 3-point favorites with an overall over/under of 201.
Let’s take a closer look at the probabilities and trends:
New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Time/TV: 8 p.m. CT (TNT)
Spread (from Caesars Sportsbook): 76ers -3
Total: 201
Money line: 76ers -160, Knicks +135
Analysis: For the Knicks, some big mistakes were made down the stretch that potentially extended the series. Josh Hart missed a late free throw, despite being at 79% of the streak this season. Mitchell Robinson also fouled out on a late three-pointer. However, No one is playing better basketball right now than Jalen Brunson.
In his last three games, Brunson is averaging 42 points and 9.6 assists. Despite the missed free throw late, Hart was outstanding in this series as well. He is averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds per game over five games. These starters will once again have to play big minutes in this game, with Bojan Bogdanovic ruled out for the rest of the series due to injury.
Things looked bleak for the 76ers in Game 5, but Maxey then turned in one of the best playoff performances of all time. Maxey played 52 of a possible 53 minutes and finished with 46 points and nine assists. He scored seven of those points in the final 24 seconds of regulation to help the team overcome a late six-point deficit.
Maxey looks to be the superstar Joel Embiid expected in the playoffs. Embiid had 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 5 – all he needed was a little help. Despite not being 100% healthy, Embiid left his mark on Game 5 with his defensive efforts.
The 76ers must win this game to continue their season. Behind the play of Maxey, with their backs to the wall, I believe they will succeed and force a return of Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.
Prediction: 76ers 103, Knicks 99 (over 201)
Best bet: 76ers -3 vs. Knicks (-110 via Caesars Sportsbook)
[ad_2]
