The New York Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday (7:30 PM ET), and it’s a straight-up East statement game with a messy injury backdrop.
The Knicks enter 23-11 (2nd in the East) and have been monsters at home at 15-3. The 76ers are 18-14 (5th in the East) and have played solid road ball at 9-6.
This is the second meeting of the season, and the 76ers already landed the first punch, winning 116-107 on December 19.
Star-wise, the Knicks’ story is Jalen Brunson and the health of Karl-Anthony Towns. Brunson is averaging 29.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Towns is at 21.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, but he’s listed questionable with an illness.
For the 76ers, it’s the Tyrese Maxey heater plus Joel Embiid’s knee status. Maxey has been unreal at 30.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. Embiid is listed probable and he’s posting 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in limited games this season.
Injury Report
Knicks
Josh Hart: Out (right ankle sprain)
Landry Shamet: Out (right shoulder sprain)
Karl-Anthony Towns: Questionable (illness)
76ers
Kelly Oubre Jr.: Out (left knee sprain)
Trendon Watford: Out (left adductor strain)
Joel Embiid: Probable (right knee, injury management)
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks’ edge starts with the environment and the baseline level they’ve hit all season. A 15-3 home record is not “nice,” it’s a legit weapon, and they’ve played with real confidence in this building even when the rotation gets weird.
They’ve also been the more consistent team on both ends. They’re averaging 120.5 points per game while allowing 114.5, and they’re doing it with 47.0% shooting, 46.3 rebounds, and 27.3 assists per night. That’s not a fluky profile. That’s a team that can win with pace, win with ball movement, and still survive if the shots aren’t falling for a stretch.
Zoom into the last 10 games and you see the same thing, just louder. The Knicks are 6-4 in that span while putting up 120.4 points, 46.7 rebounds, and 28.2 assists per game. So even with the recent losses, they haven’t suddenly turned into a broken offense. They’ve still created shots and moved the ball at a high level.
The other advantage is how this matchup can tilt if Towns plays. His spacing changes the geometry, and it forces the 76ers to guard the arc differently, which opens up Brunson’s downhill game and those quick-hitting second-side actions the Knicks love. If Towns sits again, the Knicks can still win, but the margin shrinks because the offense becomes easier to load up on.
Why The 76ers Have The Advantage
The 76ers’ advantage is that they have the scariest player in the matchup right now, and it’s not even a debate. Maxey is averaging 30.9 points and 7.2 assists, and he’s been playing like someone who thinks every possession is personal. If he gets downhill early and forces rotations, the Knicks can’t just “scheme” their way out of it.
They also already proved they can win this matchup once. The 116-107 win on Dec. 19 matters because it showed the 76ers can survive the Garden, survive Brunson, and still close. That memory sticks, especially for a team that’s been grinding for wins and building belief.
Team-wise, the 76ers are more volatile, but that volatility can work in their favor if the Knicks are short-handed. They’re averaging 116.6 points per game and allowing 116.0, with 44.7 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 5.9 blocks, and 8.5 steals. That’s a profile built on activity. If they turn this into a turnover-and-transition game, they can absolutely steal it even if they don’t play clean halfcourt offense all night.
And the Embiid piece is the wildcard. He’s listed probable, and if he looks anything close to solid, the 76ers get a totally different level of rim pressure and foul creation. That’s how you flip a road game: slow it down, live at the line, and make the opponent defend the paint for 48 minutes.
X-Factors
OG Anunoby feels like the swing piece for the Knicks. He’s averaging 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, and his two-way impact matters more than ever if the Knicks have to play smaller or patch together lineups. If he turns Maxey’s life into a chore and still hits enough open looks, that’s how the Knicks control the tempo.
Mikal Bridges is the other one. He’s at 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 51.7% from the field, and that efficiency is huge in a game where Brunson will draw extra attention. If Bridges punishes closeouts and keeps the ball moving, the Knicks’ offense stays smooth even when the 76ers load up.
For the 76ers, VJ Edgecombe is a real problem as a rookie. He’s averaging 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, and his energy can swing the non-star minutes. If he hits a couple threes and creates chaos defensively, the 76ers can win the stretches where Brunson sits.
Andre Drummond is the other leverage point. He’s only at 7.1 points, but he’s grabbing 9.2 rebounds per game, and that’s the kind of number that can decide a matchup if Towns is limited or out. If Drummond wins the glass and creates extra possessions, the 76ers can survive cold shooting stretches and still keep pressure on the Knicks.
Prediction
This game feels like it comes down to one thing: does Towns play, and if he does, does he look normal?
If Towns plays, I like the Knicks to control the pace at home and win the “clean basketball” battle with their ball movement. If he sits, the door swings wide open for Maxey to steal this late.
I’m leaning Knicks at home, but I’m expecting a tight one either way.
Prediction: Knicks 117, 76ers 113
