3 Reasons the Knicks' Game 1 Should Have 76ers Deathly Afraid

Knicks forward OG Anunoby drives during a game in the playoffs. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Knicks' emphatic Game 1 win certainly opened some eyes across the broader basketball world Monday night. This was also a contest New York should've won handily with the 76ers coming off an emotional Game 7 win. However, Philly is surely plotting adjustments that will be essential in the playoffs to get back on track.

That said, even in just one contest, the Knicks have given the Sixers several reasons to stay awake at night.

Jalen Brunson bucked his history of slower Game 1 starts

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) runs up court after a basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jalen Brunson was phenomenal in Game 1, putting up a monster 35-point performance, yet it came almost effortlessly. His 18 field-goal attempts against Philly tied his second-fewest in the playoffs so far, yet his 12 makes were his second-most in this postseason to date.

This was a completely different note to start on for the guard, who sometimes needed a game or two to get going in previous playoff matchups. In 2023 against the Cavaliers, he needed 24 shots to log 27 points to begin that tilt. In the next series against Miami, he had an underwhelming 25 in a Game 1 loss where the team needed more.

In 2024, against these Sixers, Brunson managed just 22 points while shooting a dismal 8-of-26 from the field. He shot even worse in Game 2 (8-of-29), but then turned it on with 39, 47, 40, and 41 points to close Philly out.

Coming out of the gates on fire in their 2026 showdown creates an entirely different dynamic, though. It sets New York up incredibly well to avoid its Game 2 curse, as an on-point Brunson could easily lead them to a 2-0 lead and a chance to finish this series up early in Philadelphia.

It also puts the Sixers on their heels, as they'll now need to devote a ton of attention to stopping Brunson, or this latest postseason meeting will end quickly. That introduces a ton of other side effects for the 76ers, though, especially with how well the Knicks' offense is playing as of late.

76ers can't just make Knicks' other options beat them

New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (1) and forward Paul George (8) and guard Quentin Grimes (5) during the second quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

One hope the 76ers had entering this series was that they could force New York's other names to beat them.

Mikal Bridges was coming off a disaster of a first round with his offense falling off a cliff, and his big showing against the lifeless Hawks in Game 6 wasn't anything to take seriously. Meanwhile, there was a possibility that OG Anunoby simply got hot against Atlanta and that his offensive excellence wouldn't carry over against the Sixers' strong wing corps.

Yet, those Philly dreams have been absolutely crushed. One thing they couldn't let happen was Bridges regaining his confidence, but that's exactly what happened in the opener. The beleaguered Sixers, clearly playing on tired legs that led to lazy defense, allowed him to get looks he wanted, resulting in a cool 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He found his shot from deep as well -- with his three makes from beyond the arc (on only five attempts) a high in this playoffs -- in a terrible development for the 76ers.

Meanwhile, Anunoby showed that his first-round performance wasn't a fluke, scoring 18 points on 7-of-8 from the field. He's a player who's seeing the hoop feel as big as the ocean right now with a staggering 63.8 field-goal percentage and a 59.4% clip from deep in the postseason. The forward is doing it in a variety of ways as well; he's not just getting high-value looks at the rim, but also thriving with his pull-up jump shot and catch-and-shoot opportunities.

All of this allows Josh Hart (9.9 PPG in the playoffs, down from 12.0 in regular season) to focus on what he does best on the other side of the ball. It also means the 76ers have even more headaches to worry about aside from Brunson and Towns, so they can't overcommit to stopping any one guy when the others are all in a groove.

While efficiency may wax and wane, there is palpable confidence coming from Bridges and Anunoby right now that Philadelphia is only helping increase.

Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid look like different players vs. Knicks

The 76ers gave their all to upset the Celtics in Round 1, but that exertion appears to be coming at a cost, as Tyrese Maxey (13 points) and Joel Embiid (14 points) were shells of themselves on Monday. More importantly, this seems like not just a bad night but something deeper.

Entering this series, the presumption was that Maxey would light the hoop on fire. He rocked Boston for 26.9 PPG, and his excellence as a smaller guard presented a mismatch for New York with the defensively challenged Brunson flanked by bigger wings who aren't as quick. Mikal Bridges was expected as the first man up, though confidence wasn't high.

Yet, Bridges was excellent against the speedy Maxey. He held the All-Star to zero points (0-of-2 shooting) while forcing a whopping three turnovers in over five minutes of matchup time. This was the one reason for optimism in this pairing, as Bridges could use his massive wingspan to disrupt Maxey anyway, and that proved to be on the money.

Nick Nurse definitely needs his guard to get going, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Maxey rights the ship. But this isn't the one-sided affair the 76ers hoped for. The playmaker is also coming off an exhausting series against the Celtics, where he averaged a Tom Thibodeau-like 41 minutes a night over challenging seven games. There's a real chance Maxey is feeling the effects and may not be his best self.

That same sentiment appears to be the case for Embiid. While he thrived in four games against Boston post-return, the Celtics were the kind of matchup for him to feast upon, given their lack of any real center threat. That's not at all the case with Towns and Mitchell Robinson being sizable counters to the Sixers star.

Embiid clearly didn't find as many easy shots to begin this series compared to last, posting a paltry 3-of-11 showing, with his eight made free throws the only saving grace. Even worse for Philly, the big man didn't look especially good moving on the court. This not only hurt his offensive production but made him a traffic cone on defense, which the Knicks sought out continuously on Monday to great success.

Embiid entered this series with knee concerns, and he even had a hip issue listed on the Game 1 injury report. Maybe the extra rest in the opener he received will help, but this series is being played on alternating days for the first four matchups, so it's not like there's any significant break he can use to get right.

That being said, the big man still playing, despite not being close to 100%, is likely even better for New York, since Mike Brown can exploit his presence on defense over and over.