The 76ers host the Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, January 24th, at 3:00 PM ET.
The Knicks come in at 26-18 as the No. 3 seed in the East, while the 76ers sit at 24-19 as the No. 5 seed.
The Knicks just snapped their skid in loud fashion with a 120-66 win over the Nets. The 76ers are coming off a 128-122 overtime win over the Rockets.
And here’s the spice: this season series has already tilted 2-0 toward the 76ers. So if the Knicks want to make this feel like a real “Eastern classic” instead of a matchup problem, this is the spot to punch back.
On the star side, this is heavy. Tyrese Maxey is at 30.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 39.1% from three, and Joel Embiid is at 24.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson is at 27.9 points, 6.1 assists, and 37.9% from three, while Karl-Anthony Towns is at 20.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 36.3% from three.
Injury Report
76ers
MarJon Beauchamp: Doubtful (G League – Two-Way)
Johni Broome: Doubtful (G League – On Assignment)
Joel Embiid: Probable (right ankle injury management)
Paul George: Probable (left knee injury management)
Kelly Oubre Jr.: Available (left knee injury recovery – brace)
Knicks
Trey Jemison III: Out (G League – Two-Way)
Dillon Jones: Out (G League – Two-Way)
Kevin McCullar Jr.: Out (G League – Two-Way)
Pacome Dadiet: Questionable (G League – On Assignment)
Mohamed Diwara: Questionable (G League – On Assignment)
Ariel Hukporti: Questionable (G League – On Assignment)
Karl-Anthony Towns: Questionable (thoracic back spasms)
Why The 76ers Have The Advantage
First, the math of the matchup has leaned their way all year. Up 2-0 in the season series, the 76ers have already shown they can win this exact chessboard, not a hypothetical version of it.
Second, they’re comfortable playing a slightly messier game. The 76ers score 116.8 points per game, and they’ve been living with higher-variance possessions, even with 14.1 turnovers per game. That sounds dangerous, but it also means they’re not afraid of pace spikes and late-game chaos, which is exactly where Maxey lives.
Third, the Knicks’ biggest swing piece is also the injury question. If Towns is limited, the Knicks’ spacing and secondary creation take a real hit, and it gets easier for the 76ers to load up on Brunson’s downhill game and force tougher shot quality late in the clock.
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks are cleaner and more efficient as a team, and it shows up in the profile. They’re at 117.9 points per game while allowing 113.8, and they shoot 47.0% from the field. That combo matters against a 76ers defense allowing 115.5 points per game.
They also have the shooting edge. The Knicks are at 37.7% from three, while the 76ers are at 35.5%. Over four quarters, that’s usually the difference between “tie game” and “why are we down nine again?”
And if you want the underrated separator, it’s decision-making volume. The Knicks move it at 26.6 assists per game and protect it better (13.7 turnovers) than the 76ers (24.7 assists, 14.1 turnovers). If this turns into a possession-by-possession half-court grind, that steadiness can flip the whole thing.
X-Factors
OG Anunoby is the Knicks’ tone-setter when this matchup gets physical. He’s at 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, and when he’s decisive as a driver instead of drifting into “standstill spacer,” the Knicks’ offense gets way harder to bottle up. If the 76ers try to overplay Brunson’s paint touches, OG has to punish rotations with fast decisions.
Josh Hart is the chaos lever. He’s putting up 12.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, and his value in this one is turning defensive rebounds into immediate Knicks tempo before the 76ers can get set. If Hart wins the “effort possessions” category, it’s how the Knicks steal points without needing perfect half-court execution.
Miles McBride is the swing guard. At 13.1 points per game, if he gives the Knicks a real third creator for stretches, it changes how aggressively the 76ers can load up on Brunson. If he’s passive or inefficient, the 76ers can gamble more and dare the Knicks’ secondary ball-handlers to beat them.
For the 76ers, VJ Edgecombe is the pressure point because he can bend a defense without needing the ball to stick. He’s at 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, and if he’s attacking closeouts and pushing in transition, the Knicks’ defense has to guard more space than it wants to. That’s how you get Brunson and Towns working harder on the other end.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is the “heat check” that becomes a game script. He’s at 14.6 points on 48.9% shooting, and when he’s hitting spot-ups and cutting behind ball-watching defenders, the 76ers’ offense stops feeling like “Maxey and prayers.” If he’s off, the Knicks can shrink the floor and make everything feel like a crowd.
Andre Drummond is the rebound insurance policy. He’s at 9.0 rebounds in limited minutes, and against a Knicks team that wants extra possessions through effort, he’s the guy who can erase second chances and flip them into quick outlets. If he’s winning the glass in his stints, the 76ers’ margin for error jumps.
Prediction
I’m leaning 76ers here, and it’s mostly about who can generate advantages without perfect spacing. Maxey’s pressure is constant, and if Towns is anything less than close to full, the Knicks’ offense can get a little too “Brunson solve everything” late. The Knicks will have the efficiency edge on paper, but the 76ers have already proven the matchup works for them, and at home, I’ll bet on their shot creation winning the fourth.
Prediction: 76ers 118, Knicks 112
