After a low-scoring showdown on Sunday, where the Philadelphia 76ers held off the New York Knicks in a 79-73 duel, the two teams are ready to run it back in New York on Tuesday night.
Sunday marked the first NBA game since Denver’s 78-74 win over Minnesota on Jan. 6, 2016, where both squads managed to score fewer than 80 points.
Both teams are eager for a better showing on Tuesday, especially the Knicks, who had their lowest offensive output since 2018 and the fewest points produced by an NBA team this season.
“We played like (expletive),” Knicks guard Josh Hart said. “We obviously didn’t shoot the ball well. Turnovers were bad. I think I had six or seven myself, but we’ve got to try and flush it. Got them again on Tuesday — try to come out and play better.”
Despite being marred by injuries, New York and Philadelphia continue to make their push for playoff positioning and move up the Eastern Conference standings.
Julius Randle (shoulder), Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and OG Anunoby (elbow) are on the mend for New York. On Sunday, Jalen Brunson played in his second game since suffering a knee contusion and struggled. Brunson scored 19 points on 6-of-22 shooting in the loss to the Sixers.
Overall, the Knicks committed 19 turnovers, while shooting 26-of-80 (32.5 percent) and 9-of-40 (22.5 percent) from 3-point range as a unit.
They are 6-10 since the start of February, which includes losses in four of their last six games.
The Knicks hold a 2-1 lead in the season series, but the Sixers aim to even things up in their final regular-season meeting.
Philadelphia improvised in the absence of key scorers Tyrese Maxey (concussion) and Joel Embiid (knee), while Robert Covington (knee) and De’Anthony Melton (back) are dealing with long-term injuries.
Embiid and Maxey combine for 61.3 points per game. Before Philadelphia’s win over New York on Sunday, the Sixers were 0-7 this season when both Embiid and Maxey did not play.
Philadelphia’s Kelly Oubre Jr. doesn’t anticipate another low-scoring duel on Tuesday and hinted at a potential return for Maxey.
Maxey would provide an instant boost for the Sixers. He is averaging 26.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Maxey has not played since the Sixers’ 120-116 win at Dallas on March 3 and his team is 1-3 during this stretch.
In two earlier matchups against the Knicks this season, Maxey combined for 62 points, while shooting 45.5 percent.
“(Tuesday night will) be more physical,” Oubre said after Sunday’s win. “Faster pace, obviously higher scoring. We’ve just got to do what we did, but better. We’ve just gotta do what we’ve gotta do to catch their counter-attacks, because I’m sure (Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau) is going to yell at them for two to three days to get them fired up, but we’re fired up, too.
“I don’t think we performed at our best (Sunday). I didn’t in the second half, but at the end of the day, guys stepped up, so we’re going to do the same, but with Tyrese back.”
