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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Keys to Victory

Originally posted on thePeachBasket | By Darrion Romulus | Last updated 4/18/24

We finally know who the Knicks first round opponent will be. What will be the key components that could propel them to victory?

Well, the stage is set. After a thrilling 105-104 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, the 76ers have officially secured the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference and will face off against the 2nd seeded Knicks in the first round. In the regular season, the Knicks won the season series over the Sixers 3-1, with two of those wins occurring in Philadelphia. However, in three of those games, the Sixers did not have Joel Embiid on the floor, who was recovering from a meniscus injury.

Now, with Embiid being back on the court for the Sixers while Julius Randle remains out for the rest of the season, the Knicks will have their work cut out for them heading into this series. Although this may be the case, here are two key factors that can potentially lead to the Knicks winning this first round matchup.

Shut Down Maxey

Realistically, even though he’s not a 100%, there’s not much the Knicks can do to stop Embiid. The best that they can do is slow him down and hope he has an off series. On the other hand, if the Knicks can make it a difficult series for Tyrese Maxey, it can give the Knicks the edge that they need to come out of this series victorious.

Maxey, who’s had a career year for the Sixers this season, has emerged into a prolific scorer that can torch a defense once he catches fire. If I’m the Knicks, I would try to get physical with Maxey and run him off of the perimeter as much as possible. Also, the Knicks should switch different defenders on him throughout the games to try to give him different looks. Miles McBride, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo’s should be the main defenders that switch on to him throughout the series. If they are able to be physical with Maxey and throw him off his game, this puts more pressure on Embiid to score while forcing someone else on the Sixers team to step up.

Undoubtedly, the Knicks need to make life tough for Tyrese Maxey and make him feel uncomfortable. According to Maxey’s postgame presser after the Sixers win, he knows that this series is going to be a tough one. The Knicks need to make him feel that type of presence when defending him.

"They kicked our tails in the regular season, so it's time to go in there and fight."

-Tyrese Maxey on Sixers – Knicks playoff matchuppic.twitter.com/zQ6PackNMJ
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) April 18, 2024

The Unsung Hero

In the past, we’ve seen role players unexpectedly take their game to another level during the postseason and become a surprise X-factor for their team. When it comes to this series, I believe that Bojan Bogdanovic can be that guy for this Knicks squad. Although he hasn’t been the 20 PPG scorer he was in Detroit, Bogdanovic has shown flashes of being an effective scorer and can really be a game changer offensively once he gets in a rhythm.

Previously, in an earlier meeting against the Sixers this past February, Bogdanovic erupted for 22 points while knocking down six three pointers. This was by far his best game as a Knick and more importantly, he proved how much of an asset he can be for this team once he finds his groove offensively.

Ultimately, due to the defensive pressure Jalen Brunson will likely receive from the Sixers, Bogdanovic’s production off the bench can be huge for this team. The scoring that he can provide from the perimeter can potentially take the scoring load off of Brunson and limit the double teams he is expected to see. Bogdanovic has performed well in the playoffs in the past. Hopefully, he can do that again in this series. The Knicks will need all the help they can get to defeat this scrappy Sixers team.

In the end, this first round series is going to be a dog fight for the Knicks. If these two key components can take place for them during this matchup, they should be able to come out on top and advance to the second round. The Knicks will have home court advantage in this series, as they prepare to host Game 1 at MSG on Saturday. We’ll see if they can step up to the challenge.