On Tuesday, 4/1, the New York Knicks (45-29) will host the Philadelphia 76ers (23-52) in an Eastern Conference match. The Knicks have kept a firm hold on the third position for multiple months, while the 76ers have slipped to 13th spot. Will the Knicks get an easy win against a short-handed squad? Read through the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Knicks: Keenly waiting for Jalen Brunson
The New York Knicks will enter the match after a 17-point win against the Portland Trail Blazers, as OG Anunoby put up 28 points. They have won four of their last five matches to erase the hurt of a lean 3-6 spell before that. The team has done well without Jalen Brunson but an easy schedule has helped, as all four victories came against teams who haven’t done well lately.
But there is a silver lining. OG Anunoby has stepped up his offense and has taken the load away from Karl-Anthony Towns. Meanwhile, Josh Hart has done well as the primary ball distributor, while Mikal Bridges is in a good groove, too. The downside to the current surge is that it is a four-man lineup taking the major toll due to the lack of depth, especially after Miles McBride’s injury. Will the squad be too exhausted during the post-season? Seems so.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG/SG: Josh Hart | SG: Delon Wright | SF: Mikal Bridges | SF: OG Anunoby | C: Karl-Anthony Towns
Key Injuries/Updates: Miles McBride can be OUT for the game. Jalen Brunson is OUT but may return just before the end of the Regular Season.
76ers: One of the worst seasons in franchise history
The Philadelphia 76ers will enter the match after a familiar 18-point loss against the Toronto Raptors, as Lonnie Walker IV had a 23-point effort. It was their eighth straight loss, and they are 3-23 since early February, summing up their woes. The management can’t be blamed for the blunder as they put together a strong two-way trio of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid.
Embiid suffered a season-ending injury just when George started to mesh. Then Maxey picked up a potential season-ending injury, and George also suffered the same fate soon after. The team is currently fielding a fourth-string squad and is just going through motions. Will they at least get a top-five pick in the draft to erase some of their current hurt? No matter what, 76ers fans must be down in the dumps.
Expected Starting Lineup
SG: Lonnie Walker IV | SG: Ricky Council IV | SG/SF: Jared Butler | SF/PF: Justin Edwards | C: Adam Bona
Key Injuries/Updates: Joel Embiid, Paul George, Jared McCain, and Eric Gordon are OUT for the season. Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry, and Tyrese Maxey are also likely to be OUT for the season.
The Knicks in general, are not usually a 120-point type of squad but the weak defense of the 76ers will give them the confidence to do so. Meanwhile, the 76ers are relying on individual brilliance rather than team play at this point, and touching the 110 mark mostly looks out of reach. The Knicks are defending well and may shut down Philadelphia below 100. I believe the Knicks will cross 120 here.
Karl-Anthony Towns over 25.5 points: KAT has tallied 24.2 points per game in March but has scored under 20 in two straight games. However, I expect him to stitch together 26+ points here.
Mikal Bridges over 21.5 points: The Knicks Two-Way Wing has accumulated 19.6 PPG this month(1.6 above his season average). He has put up 21 or more in four of the five games. I expect him to continue the trend.
Adam Bona over 9.5 rebounds: The 76ers’ big man has done well on the rebounding end this month as the team has been severely undermanned. He has averaged 6.5 RPG in March and 8 or more boards in four of the last six games. I believe he will collect 10-12 rebounds here.
Jared Butler over 5.5 assists: The playmaking guard has tallied 5 assists per game in March. I believe he will be in 6-8 range.
The Knicks are in a decent touch and know how to put weak squads away. Meanwhile, the 76ers look helpless against even bottom-ranked squads these days, so their chances against a playoff-bound team look bleak. At any rate, I expect the Knicks to stamp home a 20+ points win here.
Safe Spread Pick: Knicks -16.5 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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