2024 Playoffs Eastern Conference First Round: (2) New York Knicks vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers - The Danse Macabre

jon abbey

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How do you feel about game 6?
DiVincenzo and Hart and McBride and Anunoby combined for 6-25 from 3 point range, I'd think that would likely improve and NY would be able to finish this, but both teams are having to dig deep, so who knows. For instance, Anunoby played the most in any game in his career in game 4 with 46 minutes, then he topped that with 50 minutes in this one.
 

slamminsammya

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I am intrigued by the reality in which a 3-2 series could be tied
lol i’m dense and it’s late. there is the theory of the field of one element though where this could make sense maybe? it’s like a mythical thing where galois theory reduces to combinatorics or something. i think 2=3 in such a place
 

Kliq

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Potential Hot Take: As a Celtics fan, I'm not worried about the Knicks at all. They really, really struggle to score the ball outside of Brunson, have a lot of bricklayers on offense and are struggling to put away a soft Philly team with a zombie-version of Embiid. They play hard, they defend well and crash the glass very well, but I can't imagine them pushing a Celtics team, even without Porzingis, that much in a playoff series. I kind of think Cleveland would be a harder matchup.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Potential Hot Take: As a Celtics fan, I'm not worried about the Knicks at all. They really, really struggle to score the ball outside of Brunson, have a lot of bricklayers on offense and are struggling to put away a soft Philly team with a zombie-version of Embiid. They play hard, they defend well and crash the glass very well, but I can't imagine them pushing a Celtics team, even without Porzingis, that much in a playoff series. I kind of think Cleveland would be a harder matchup.
Can’t you say the same about Cleveland’s offense outside of Mitchell, who is banged up? Their greatest random threat is a 3-pt shooter going nuclear and the only one getting minutes is Strus who is struggling and easy to deny shots even if he goes on a heater. It would seem to take a lot for us not to be in The Finals which will be a big step up in comp no matter who gets through.
 

TomRicardo

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One thing that was kind of obvious last night is the game at points was too fast for Thibs. He was really slow a couple of times and screwed up not fouling at the end of regulation.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Potential Hot Take: As a Celtics fan, I'm not worried about the Knicks at all. They really, really struggle to score the ball outside of Brunson, have a lot of bricklayers on offense and are struggling to put away a soft Philly team with a zombie-version of Embiid. They play hard, they defend well and crash the glass very well, but I can't imagine them pushing a Celtics team, even without Porzingis, that much in a playoff series. I kind of think Cleveland would be a harder matchup.
Understand your view but I'm a little more worried. Physical, handsy teams that can offensive rebound have given the Cs problems in the past. But at the end, it will all come down to Brunson. I mean I'm being Capt. Obvious here, but in the last game, he did a great job of breaking down BOS's defense and opening up offensive rebounding possibilities - though I understand that BOS was not playing with playoff intensity. But if Brunson has another level, BOS is going to have a dogfight.

Of course, if Brunson is worn out from having to carry NYK through (hopefully) two tough series, your analysis is likely spot on.
 

Murderer's Crow

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Potential Hot Take: As a Celtics fan, I'm not worried about the Knicks at all. They really, really struggle to score the ball outside of Brunson, have a lot of bricklayers on offense and are struggling to put away a soft Philly team with a zombie-version of Embiid. They play hard, they defend well and crash the glass very well, but I can't imagine them pushing a Celtics team, even without Porzingis, that much in a playoff series. I kind of think Cleveland would be a harder matchup.
This isn't wrong, and it's a common take on the Knicks weakness. It is exaggerated in this series though, as DiVincenzo specifically has laid a lot of eggs and Hart has not contributed much offensively. They have to adjust to playoff defense better and I think they can do that.
 

TomRicardo

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Understand your view but I'm a little more worried. Physical, handsy teams that can offensive rebound have given the Cs problems in the past. But at the end, it will all come down to Brunson. I mean I'm being Capt. Obvious here, but in the last game, he did a great job of breaking down BOS's defense and opening up offensive rebounding possibilities - though I understand that BOS was not playing with playoff intensity. But if Brunson has another level, BOS is going to have a dogfight.

Of course, if Brunson is worn out from having to carry NYK through (hopefully) two tough series, your analysis is likely spot on.
You are assuming Embiid doesn't finally blind him
 

Ed Hillel

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Understand your view but I'm a little more worried. Physical, handsy teams that can offensive rebound have given the Cs problems in the past. But at the end, it will all come down to Brunson. I mean I'm being Capt. Obvious here, but in the last game, he did a great job of breaking down BOS's defense and opening up offensive rebounding possibilities - though I understand that BOS was not playing with playoff intensity. But if Brunson has another level, BOS is going to have a dogfight.

Of course, if Brunson is worn out from having to carry NYK through (hopefully) two tough series, your analysis is likely spot on.
Yeah, physicality on KP (assuming he’d be healthy) and OG’s ability to neutralize Tatum in man, combined with the Knicks getting numerous extra possessions crashing the glass is a concerning combination to me. But if the matchup R2 is Knicks/Bucks, I’m not sure the winner comes out of that unscathed. It will be just as physical as this.
 

ragnarok725

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Yeah, physicality on KP (assuming he’d be healthy) and OG’s ability to neutralize Tatum in man, combined with the Knicks getting numerous extra possessions crashing the glass is a concerning combination to me. But if the matchup R2 is Knicks/Bucks, I’m not sure the winner comes out of that unscathed. It will be just as physical as this.
Has OG historically been able to neutralize Tatum in man? I don't remember him being uniquely effective in that role during his Toronto days. He's certainly playing some of the best D of his career right now, and in a new system with Thibs, but I have my doubts. I think Tatum eats if they don't send help.
 

dhellers

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I mean, the Knicks did almost the same thing to Philly in game 2. Philly just yoinked one right back on them.

Fun series. ...
This primal fact deserves more fanfare --- when was the last time a series featured a "blow a 5+ lead in 30 seconds" ending.
Isaiah Thomas 1984 game 5 against the Knicks (https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2020/04/27/detroit-pistons-isiah-thomas-game-5-1984-nba-playoffs-knicks/3023410001/) ?

And from that subset find a series which has two of them! Extra credit if it was within 5 games!!

The gods seem to be enjoying dispensing heartbreak in an evenhanded fashion..
 

jon abbey

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One thing that was kind of obvious last night is the game at points was too fast for Thibs. He was really slow a couple of times and screwed up not fouling at the end of regulation.
The not fouling at the end of regulation was on the team, Maxey made it hard by shooting early and from very far away but Thibs had instructed them to foul, they just weren't able to execute.

But I agree that it was a mistake to leave Robinson in down the stretch when he struggles guarding the perimeter. Embiid was largely a decoy by that point anyway, put in Hartenstein or Achiuwa and make it harder for Maxey to get space on the switch.
 

jon abbey

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This primal fact deserves more fanfare --- when was the last time a series featured a "blow a 5+ lead in 30 seconds" ending.
Isaiah Thomas 1984 game 5 against the Knicks (https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2020/04/27/detroit-pistons-isiah-thomas-game-5-1984-nba-playoffs-knicks/3023410001/) ?

And from that subset find a series which has two of them! Extra credit if it was within 5 games!!

The gods seem to be enjoying dispensing heartbreak in an evenhanded fashion..
I read somewhere that it only happened three times in NBA playoff history before this series, twice more in this one.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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I watched pretty much that whole game and just learned the Sixers won. WTF.

edit-well, I guess I missed 5 minutes and thirty seconds
 
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lovegtm

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I watched pretty much that whole game and just learned the Sixers won. WTF.

edit-well, I guess I missed 5 minutes and thirty seconds
This is like last year when I slammed my computer shut after Marcus Smart missed a game-ending 3 in game 6 of the ECF.
 

lovegtm

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I read somewhere that it only happened three times in NBA playoff history before this series, twice more in this one.
I can think of the Reggie Miller game and Ray Allen in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals. Not sure on the 3rd.