Knicks open second round vs. 76ers at Madison Square Garden on Monday, May 4
- Philadelphia and New York open their Eastern Conference semifinal Monday, May 4, at Madison Square Garden after the 76ers beat Boston in Game 7. - The matchup locked in after Philadelphia’s 109-100 win in Boston and New York’s 140-89 closeout of Atlanta, the biggest playoff margin in Knicks history. - New York has home court, but Philadelphia arrives after a 3-1 comeback that changed the shape of the bracket.
The Eastern Conference semifinal is set now — and it’s a pretty clean contrast. The Knicks got here by flattening Atlanta 140-89 in Game 6 on April 30. The 76ers got here by walking into Boston on May 2 and winning Game 7, 109-100, to finish a 3-1 comeback. Game 1 is Monday, May 4, at Madison Square Garden, with an 8 p.m. ET tip on NBC and Peacock. (nba.com) ### How did this matchup get set? New York clinched first. The Knicks closed their first-round series 4-2 against the Hawks with a demolition that was basically over by halftime — ESPN’s game page notes New York led 83-36 at the break, the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history. Philadelphia’s path took longer. The Sixers forced Game 7 against Boston, then finished(nba.com)l spot. (espn.com) ### Why is Game 1 in New York? Because the Knicks are the higher seed. The NBA playoff bracket lists New York as the No. 3 seed and Philadelphia as No. 7, so the Knicks get home-court advantage in the series. That means Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 are at Madison Square Garden if needed. (nba.com) ### What’s the actual schedule? The key thi(espn.com). ET for Game 1 at MSG. The broader series schedule showing Games 5 through 7, if necessary, is already posted on NBA schedule pages, which is the clearest sign that this pairing is fully locked and not just a placeholder. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)ested and loud. That Atlanta closeout was not a grind-it-out survival game. It was a blowout that let New York finish the series early and avoid the extra wear that comes with a Game 7. One of the big details from that win: OG Anunoby scored 29 points in just 27 minutes, and the whole game functioned like a confidence surge more than an escape. (stamfordadvocate.com) ### What shape are the Sixers in? Philadelphia is coming in with the hotter storyline. The Sixers were down 3-1 to Boston, then won three straight, including the road Game 7. ESPN’s live recap says Joel Embiid had 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. That’s not just surviving — that’s star-level shot creation carrying into the next round. (espn.com) ### Have these teams already shown the pressure points? A little. One regular-season meeting at MSG on January 3 ended with Philadelphia beating New York 130-119, and the NBA game page highlighted Maxey’s 36 points. That doesn’t decide a playoff series, obviously, but it does underline the first question New York has to answer: who bends the Sixers’ guard attack when Maxey gets downhill? (nba.com) ### So what matters most Monday night? Pace and emotional control. The Knicks will want to turn MSG into a pressure cooker and make Philadelphia feel the short turnaround from a Game 7. The Sixers will want the opposite — steady half-court possessions, Embiid touches, and Maxey forcing New York’s defense into rotation. Basically, one team is trying to cash in rest and ho(nba.com) for 48 more minutes. (nba.com) ### Bottom line This is a real second-round series, not a breather. New York has the building, the seed, and the fresher legs. Philadelphia has the best recent win and maybe the most momentum of any East team left. Monday night is where those two advantages finally collide. (nba.com)
