New York at Philadelphia
Time: 6 PM CT (NBA TV)
Spread: PHI -11.5
Total: 211
Odds c/o 5dimes
The Philadelphia 76ers bring a three-game win streak home as it hosts the New York Knicks as 11.5-point favorites in Monday night action on NBA TV. The Sixers are 16-10 at home, and the Knicks are without star Kristaps Porzingis, who was ruled out for the season after tearing his ACL in a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Knicks since have lost six straight and firmly plummeted out of the playoff race. And so, in New York, the tank begins.
76ers
The Sixers are tuning up for the first playoff matchup since “The Process” began some five years ago. Philly is currently seeded No. 8 in the East but trails No. 5 Milwaukee by just two games in the standings. Moving up is imperative for Philly, in hopes to avoid a first-round clash with either Toronto or Boston. As tight as the Eastern Conference standings are, Philly can radically improve its draw by closing this season strong, and all indications are that it will do just that.
The 76ers have knocked off the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, and L.A. Clippers in its past three games, winning all of the games by 13 points or more with an average margin of victory of 14.6 points. Its most recent win was a 112-98 win over the Clippers, as the Sixers had a late run to rally past the new look Clippers.
Joel Embiid had 29 points and tied his career high with 16 rebounds. Ben Simmons had a double-double again with 14 points and 10 assists. Simmons is averaging 7.3 assists per game this season, and over his past 10 games, he has notched 7.7 assists along with 7.1 rebounds and 17.1 points. He has two double-doubles in his last five games and is in a neck-and-neck race with Utah’s Donovan Mitchell for the Rookie of the Year honor.
The Sixers are focused on bigger things than the award, especially after Embiid was (perhaps rightfully) snubbed for the award a year ago, mainly because he only played 32 games last season. Embiid has the makings of a true franchise player if he can remain healthy, and thus far this season he has. He has recently been cleared to play in back-to-back games, and the Sixers can also be thankful the postseason has no back-to-backs. Embiid is averaging 23.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 blocks/steals per game in 31 minutes a night in his 43 appearances. He will be an All-Star this year in just his second season.
Knicks
New York has a much less rosy outlook with Porzingis’ career hanging in the balance. Porzingis has the unenviable task of rehabbing from an ACL injury, which is the type of injury that can cast a permanent shadow over one’s career. Given that he was really the best thing the Knicks had on its roster since Patrick Ewing, Knicks fans are understandably crestfallen and downtrodden. New York is just 7-23 on the road this season, and the remainder of the year will serve as little more than a chance to get big playing time for the younger players on the roster.
Combo guard Emmanuel Mudiay came to New York Via Denver, and he now auditions with Frank Ntilikina for the point guard job. Although, the pair is playing extensively together. Given that the Knicks only can hurt themselves by winning games, expect Jeff Hornacek to tinker a lot with the lineup and just attempt to find things that work.
Center Enes Kanter will keep getting buckets, and Tim Hardaway Jr. is a threat always at the 3-spot but other than that New York’s roster is full of holes and question marks—and poor defense. The losses likely will pile up as the Knicks position itself for a high lottery pick, sans Porzingis.
