3 Sixers Adjustments That Could Decide Game 2 Against Knicks

It’s back to the drawing board for the Sixers after losing to the New York Knicks by 39.

Jan 3, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) defends against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Sixers were tired. You could see it in their defensive blunders, unforced turnovers, and Joel Embiid, who was only effective at the free-throw line.

It makes sense. The Sixers had just one day of rest following their dramatic 109-100 Game 7 win against the Boston Celtics in the previous round on Saturday. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks enjoyed three days off, and it showed Monday.

Philadelphia suffered a 137-98 loss to New York in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, falling 1-0 in the series. While fatigue was a factor, the Sixers schematically struggled and must adapt to knot the series in Game 2 on Wednesday.

The Sixers proved they can adjust and stay resilient after the Celtics blew them out in Game 1 of their first-round series. Now they have to do so once more.

Here are three adjustments Nick Nurse and company could make.

Switching the scheme against Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson torched the Sixers in the playoffs two years ago. That trend continued on Monday night.

The three-time All-Star erupted for 35 points, 27 of which he recorded in the first half, on 12-of-18 shooting from the field. The Sixers had no answer for him despite boasting more defensive options than they had two years ago in the playoffs.

Jalen Brunson in 3 quarters

35 points
12-18 FG
3-6 3P
+27 pic.twitter.com/uqMZAft9xp

— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) May 5, 2026

Brunson toyed with the Sixers out of pick-and-rolls. Philadelphia went over screens, which unlocked his midrange repertoire, and Embiid could not adequately contest while in drop coverage.

VJ Edgecombe had the bulk of the Brunson assignment, but he could not make him feel uncomfortable. Brunson shot 4-of-7 from the field with Edgecombe as his closest defender, according to NBA.com.

Edgecombe will improve as the series goes on, but the Sixers could adjust some aspects of their coverage to make everyone’s lives slightly easier. Philadelphia could go under screens to negate Brunson’s driving ability and turn him into a three-point shooter. While Brunson is a career 38.5% shooter from beyond, it’s better than letting him step into open nail jump shots.

The Sixers could also put Embiid on Josh Hart, as they briefly did on Monday, and put Paul George on Karl-Anthony Towns. Philadelphia would then be able to switch in an attempt to prevent Brunson from creating an advantage. 

These potential adjustments could create other problems, but the Sixers need to figure out how to limit Brunson’s impact as much as possible.

Giving Tyrese Maxey room to breathe

Tyrese Maxey got whatever he wanted in Game 7 against Boston, but Monday night was a different story. He totaled 13 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line.

That was Maxey’s fewest number of field-goal attempts in a playoff game since Philadelphia’s 121-101 Game 1 win against the Brooklyn Nets in the 2022-23 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Maxey’s struggles can be attributed to Mikal Bridges, who concealed Maxey on and off the ball.

Bridges used his length to fight through screens, which prevented Maxey from probing off the dribble. The wing’s length also denied Maxey opportunities to get free without the ball. Maxey attempted just two shots and posted one assist to three turnovers with Bridges as his closest defender, via NBA.com. 

The two-time All-Star could not develop a rhythm as a result, and Philadelphia’s offense sputtered.

Limiting New York’s pestering perimeter defense is a tall task, but the Sixers could try having George or Edgecombe bring the ball up. That would allow the Sixers to run quick actions to break Maxey loose off the ball. From there, he could catch the ball off the move and initiate offense, whether it’s him driving to the rim or creating for others.

Broaden your horizons

Nurse told reporters before Game 1 that he could wield a deeper rotation to begin this series, but he went only eight players deep in the first half. He deployed Justin Edwards simply to play hack-a-Mitch. 

Both teams have struggled with bench production, especially Philadelphia, which had zero reserve points at halftime. Quentin Grimes (five points on 1-of-4 shooting from the field) has proven that he is consistently inconsistent, so Nurse should look at other options like Dominick Barlow and Trendon Watford.

The two totaled 83 minutes in the Sixers’ series against Boston, most of which came during garbage time. Barlow’s size and length could be valuable in matching up against the Knicks’ forwards and would also offer more protection off the boards. If the Knicks want to hide Brunson defensively, Watford could make him pay with his quick decision-making as well.

It’s not much, but there are levers Nurse can pull.

Tyrese Maxey on the Sixers' Game 1 loss:

"Like [Nick Nurse] said, it doesn't matter if we lose by seven or 70. They won one game and we lost one game."

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 5, 2026

Sidenote: Adem Bona accumulating five fouls in four minutes is just…impressive.

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