Sixers Could Deploy Rare Lineup in Game 2 vs. Knicks

The Philadelphia 76ers will have to get creative in Game 2.

On Saturday night, the Philadelphia 76ers kicked off their opening-round series with the New York Knicks. While many have circled them as a team who could pull off an upset in round one, they were unsuccessful in winning Game 1 on the road.

Aside from the play of the Knicks’ supporting cast, the biggest storyline of this matchup was the battle on the glass. New York was much more aggressive and physical rebounding on both ends, and it was a major catalyst in their victory. In total, the Knicks out-rebounded the Sixers 55-33 in their Game 1 win.

23 of the Knicks’ 55 rebounds came on the offensive end, resulting in 26 second-chance points. Mitchell Robinson played a big part in their success in this area, with seven of his 12 rebounds coming on the offensive glass.

Following this large disparity in rebounding, Sixers coach Nick Nurse was asked about possible lineup changes going forward. When the idea of a Joel Embiid-Paul Reed frontcourt was mentioned, Nurse cited it as something that’s on the table. “I would say that’s a possibility, yes,” Nurse said.

Reed logged 11 minutes in Game 1 and finished with four points and five rebounds. The young center has rarely played alongside Embiid over the years, but it’s something the Sixers might need to explore in this matchup.

The Sixers’ defense did a good job making life difficult for Jalen Brunson, but they were unable to finish possessions by securing reboundings. All these extra opportunities opened the door for Josh Hart and Miles McBride to have big offensive outings.

As Nurse and the Sixers prepare for Game 2 on Monday night, rebounding has to be one of the biggest points of emphasis.