Knicks host Sixers, Game 1 tonight

The second round in the East starts tonight, and this one has real edge to it. New York gets Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 on Monday, May 4, with the Knicks holding home court and the 76ers coming in off a hard first-round series. The basic stakes are simple — one team is trying to turn a strong regular season into a real run, and the other is trying to prove its seed undersold how dangerous it is. ### When is Game 1? Game 1 is Monday night, May 4, in New York. The official playoff schedule has the series opening at Madison Square Garden, and ESPN’s schedule page lists Philadelphia at New York with the East semifinals beginning tonight. ### Why do the Knicks have home-court? The Knicks finished 53-29, good for the No. 3 seed in the East, while Philadelphia finished 45-37 and entered this round as the No. 7 seed. That means Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 are in New York if the series goes the distance. The Knicks got through Atlanta in six games and closed that series with a blowout — 140-89 on April 30. Philadelphia had a tougher path and just finished Boston in Game 7 on May 2, so the turnaround into this series is quick. That matters in May, because rest is never really rest once the bracket tightens. ### Why does the timing matter? Because the bracket only fully snapped into place on Sunday. Cleveland beat Toronto 114-102 in Game 7 on May 3, which finalized the remaining East semifinal matchup and put the focus squarely on the Knicks and Sixers opening tonight. In other words — this round didn’t slowly arrive. It basically landed all at once. ### What makes this matchup interesting? It’s the mix of familiarity and pressure. These are Atlantic Division teams from nearby markets, and there’s already recent playoff history between them. ESPN’s preview frames it as a rematch after New York knocked out Philadelphia in six games in 2024, so there’s no warm-up period here — both sides know the emotional temperature from the jump. ### Who carries the pressure? Probably the Knicks, because home court changes the math. When you start at home, splitting isn’t the goal — protecting those first two games is. But the 76ers are the team people watch for volatility. A lower seed that survives a seven-game fight can look exhausted, or it can look battle-tested. Usually you find out fast. ### What does the full series look like? The schedule is compressed. Game 2 is Wednesday, May 6, back in New York. Then the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 on May 8 and May 10, with Games 5 through 7 set for May 12, 14, and 17 if needed. That rhythm means there’s not much room for a team to reset after a bad night. Bottom line Tonight is where the second round gets real for both teams. New York has the seed, the building, and the cleaner path into the series. Philadelphia has the upset case and the urgency. Game 1 won’t decide everything — but it will tell you very quickly whose version of this matchup is actually going to hold.