Dominick Barlow Proved He Deserves Spot in Sixers' Rotation vs. Knicks

Dominick Barlow was the Sixers' unsung hero in their Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks.

Jan 3, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) and Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) chase after a loose ball in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

When Joel Embiid was ruled out of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it put the Sixers in dire straits against the New York Knicks.

Andre Drummond surprisingly drew the start over Adem Bona, but he played only 15 minutes, finishing with six points and a team-high eight rebounds. While Drummond did his usual work on the glass, his lack of defensive mobility gave the Knicks a layup line on most possessions.

Bona also made an impact with six offensive rebounds in his 16 minutes on the floor, but he unsurprisingly got into foul trouble trying to defend Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. That forced Sixers head coach Nick Nurse to get creative at the 5.

In came Dominick Barlow, who nearly helped the Sixers steal the game and go back to Philly knotted at one win apiece.

In his 16 minutes, Barlow finished with six points on 3-of-3 shooting, two rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Even more impressively, he held his own most of the time whenever he got switched onto Brunson or another smaller player defensively.

That alone should have showed Nurse enough that he goes back to Barlow in Game 3, particularly if Embiid can't return.

Barlow's unique impact

After Brunson torched the Sixers for 35 points in 31 minutes in Game 1, they changed up their defensive coverage on him in Game 2. They were far more aggressive sending early help and forcing him to give up the ball, but that repeatedly created 4-on-3 opportunities for the Knicks.

Drummond stood zero chance defensively on those possessions. Bona was better, but as usual, he was too foul-happy. Barlow was the happy medium.

Barlow isn't nearly as prolific of a rebounder as Drummond, but he's able to hold his own on switches and defend out on the perimeter. That seemingly threw Brunson for a loop in the second half after he scored 16 points prior to halftime.

Brunson did hit a few tough buckets over Barlow in crunch time, but Barlow forced him into contested, long-range two-point jumpers. That's a shot Brunson can hit, but that's far more preferable than letting him get to the basket and/or draw fouls.

Big shot from Jalen Brunson. Sixers have had PG on KAT, Barlow on OG. Using Barlow to switch. Knicks work to keep the wings clear, Brunson goes to work pic.twitter.com/JBtGtDdvOy

— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) May 7, 2026

Now that Nurse played the Barlow card in Game 2, the Knicks will have two days to prepare for it ahead of Game 3. Brunson is too smart of a player to get stymied all game, although the length of the 6'9" Barlow is a nice change of pace that the Sixers can break out if Brunson begins dissecting their traps.

The real question is whether the Sixers can get their offense on track with Barlow on the floor, particularly if Embiid can't return for Game 3.

Sixers' offense goes cold in crunch time

Barlow subbed in with roughly five minutes left in the third quarter and didn't leave the floor again until there was only one minute left in the fourth quarter. The Sixers scored 21 points over that 16-minute stretch.

The Sixers took their last lead of the game when Kelly Oubre Jr. drilled a three-pointer to put them up 99-96 with 6:52 left. They didn't score again until Tyrese Maxey hit a free throw with 1:33 left. The Knicks outscored them 9-0 over that span.

VJ Edgecombe did run a tidy pick-and-roll with Barlow early in the fourth quarter, but it's safe to say that he doesn't command the same type of defensive respect as Embiid.

BARLOW. 💪 pic.twitter.com/sEuC2hnUfa

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 7, 2026

No matter how impactful his defense is, the Sixers can't afford another 12-point fourth quarter with Barlow on the floor. They're lucky the Orlando Magic exist to draw attention away from their dreadful fourth quarter with an instantly infamous 19-point second half in a Game 6 meltdown against the Detroit Pistons.

Game 2 was there for the Sixers to steal, as the Knicks mustered only 19 points in the fourth quarter themselves. The Sixers generated a number of wide-open three-point attempts over that span, but they went only 1-of-9 from deep to close out the game after shooting 6-of-9 from three in the first quarter.

Barlow isn't a three-point shooter, so that isn't on him. Tired legs might have gotten the best of the Sixers at an inopportune time.

If anything, Barlow might be even more necessary in Game 3, provided that backup Knicks center Mitchell Robinson returns from the illness that caused him to miss Game 2.

When Towns and third-string center Ariel Hukporti got into foul trouble Wednesday, the Knicks went to a small-ball lineup to play Drummond off the floor. If Robinson is back for Game 3, they'll have more of a traditional frontcourt presence available for all 48 minutes. If Embiid isn't back by then, Drummond and Bona alone won't be enough.

Given how well Barlow held up defensively, he'd be worth an earlier look even if Embiid does return for Game 3. Drummond might get the first crack at backup minutes again, but both Bona and Barlow proved Wednesday that they can be legitimate change-of-pace options who can widen the rotation without significantly costing the Sixers.

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Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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