Knicks Coach Talks Challenge of Joel Embiid
By Jeremy Brener
The New York Knicks are getting ready for the start of their playoff run on Saturday as the Philadelphia 76ers come to town.
The Sixers clinched a playoff spot after beating the Miami Heat in Wednesday night's Play-In Tournament game. The win proved that they will be a tough opponent for the Knicks for the first-round series.
"[Joel] Embiid, obviously, is a lot to deal with," coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "But [Tyrese] Maxey, you have a number of guys. [Tobias] Harris. [Kyle] Lowry's played well for them. [Nic] Batum, obviously, has been around a long time, hit a lot of big shots. [Buddy] Hield, a great shooter, scorer. We know we got to be ready."
The Sixers are incredibly deep and a sneaky seventh seed. Philadelphia was 31-8 this season with Embiid in the lineup and 16-27 without him. They are also the hottest team in the NBA, having won their last eight regular-season games and last night's Play-In contest.
It's going to be a handful for the Knicks, but with their strong defense, they will have a chance to limit the 76ers in hopes of advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the second year in a row.
Game 1 between the Knicks and Sixers is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.