The Philadelphia 76ers have defied the odds and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs after defeating the Boston Celtics 109-100 in Game 7. The 76ers completed the 14th comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in NBA history, as they now face the No. 3 seed New York Knicks in the second round.
The 76ers overcame a 44-year run of losing Playoff series against the Celtics, marking their first series win since 1982. Their second round opponents are another rival whom they last faced in the Playoffs in the 2024 first round. The Knicks won that series 4-2, so the 76ers will be hoping to exact a measure of revenge against another divisional rival.
Now that the team has delivered something worth rooting for to the fans in Philadelphia, franchise center Joel Embiid made a passionate plea during his post-game press conference to ensure local Philly fans show up to their home games instead of the seats being filled by traveling Knicks fans, as had been the case in 2024.
“New York, we played them a couple of years ago. It was a good series, ended up in 6. I had a lot going on at that time. Hopefully, everything is good this time. We’ve got PG, a much better team than we had that time. It’s going to be a fun series at the Garden.”
“I have a message for our fans. Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like (Philly) was Madison Square Garden East. We’re gonna need the support. Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys. The atmosphere you guys created in the last two games, especially in (Game 6), we need all of it. Knicks fans travel; they buy tickets. There’s gonna be people who will sell the tickets because they need the money. Don’t do it, we need you guys. We need the support, and we need them to be extremely loud. If you need money, I’ve got you.”
Embiid averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in the first round after missing the first two games due to appendicitis. The chance to get revenge against the Knicks will be greatly appreciated by the franchise after how their last matchup ended. To be fair, Embiid had multiple health issues he was dealing with during the first go-around, so his health will be a huge x-factor for the 76ers.
The 76ers’ regular season record was poor primarily because of the transient nature of their roster. Embiid played just 38 games while Paul George played just 37 games. With everyone healthy and energized right now, this version of the 76ers has proven they’re way more dangerous than their seeding would suggest.
The Knicks have one of the most passionate fan bases in the NBA, so Embiid knows that they have the numbers to travel to away games and hurt teams’ support at their home. The Xfinity Mobile Arena is just a 90-minute drive away from Madison Square Garden, so the 76ers can be more affected by the Knicks’ traveling fans than any team in the NBA not named the Brooklyn Nets.
Even outside their fans, including the likes of Anne Hathaway, the Knicks will be considered the favorites heading into the series. While they might’ve preferred to face the Celtics, a team that they beat in the Playoffs last year when they had a more fearsome roster, they’ll be up to the challenge of facing Philly.
The Knicks have a 2-2 record against the 76ers this season. This will be a fascinating matchup, but the Knicks have a golden opportunity to make the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Similarly, this is a huge opportunity for Embiid to make the Conference Finals for the first time in his career.
