The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers will do battle again in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday. The Knicks took the first two games of this series at home and will try to take a 3-0 lead with a road win here. But the Sixers now have home-court advantage and will try to make the most of it to get back into this series with a win in Knicks vs 76ers Game 3.
Knicks vs 76ers Game 3 Pick
- Pick: 76ers +2.5
- Confidence: 1 out of 5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Date & Time: Friday, May 8, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
- Broadcast: Prime Video
Key Storylines
The biggest storyline going into Game 3 of this series is the health of Joel Embiid for the Philadelphia 76ers. Embiid was ruled out of Game 2 in New York after the team’s shootaround on the afternoon of the game. He is dealing with hip and ankle injuries, and his absence would be a significant blow again here. With that said, the Sixers showed a ton of heart just to stay within striking distance of the Knicks in Game 2 without Embiid and can’t be counted out here whether or not Embiid plays.
For New York, this game is a golden opportunity to move to within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals. New York got off to a slow start in Game 2, with foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns limiting him to just 8 minutes in the first half. But the Knicks overcame that and got timely buckets late from Jalen Brunson, a formula they will be happy to lean on in Game 3 as well.
Key Players
New York Knicks
- Jalen Brunson: Brunson scored 26 points in Game 2 for New York, equaling the output of Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey. If Brunson can cancel out Maxey, the Knicks will like their chances given that Embiid is banged up.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: The New York Knicks have relied just as heavily on Towns as they have Brunson in this postseason. When Towns was out due to foul trouble in Game 2, the Knicks struggled, but they got back on track when he was on the floor. KAT must avoid foul trouble for the Knicks to win Game 3.
- Mikal Bridges: The much-maligned wing for the Knicks had 18 points on 9/13 shooting in Game 2 and is still a key to so much of what New York does well.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Joel Embiid: The Philly big man is a key player in this game, primarily in that the Sixers will hope he can play again after missing Game 2.
- Tyrese Maxey: Maxey led the Sixers with 26 points in Game 2, but he needs to be more efficient from the perimeter after shooting 1/6 from beyond the arc in that loss.
- Kelly Oubre Jr.: Oubre had 19 points in Game 2, the same number as Paul George. But Oubre got those 19 points on 6 fewer shots than George and that efficiency will be key in Philly’s attempt to avoid an 0-3 hole in this series.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- The Knicks are 4-2 against the 76ers including the regular season and playoffs this year.
- The Knicks are 49-42 against the spread this season.
- Philadelphia is 50-42 against the spread going into this matchup after covering the spread in Game 2.
Knicks vs 76ers Game 3 Model Projection
- Score Projection: Knicks 110 – 76ers 112
- Win Probability: Knicks 48%, 76ers 52%
It should go without saying that bettors will want to wait for additional information on Joel Embiid’s health status before placing any bets on this contest. But the Sixers proved in Game 2 that they can hang tough with the Knicks with or without Embiid on the floor. I lean slightly toward Philadelphia to cover the number as an underdog in Game 3, with an outright win for the Sixers well within the realm of possibility in this must-win game for Nick Nurse’s squad.
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