The going gets tough | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Knicks have the 76ers backed up against a wall at Madison Square Garden tonight in Game 5, one win away from finishing off their first-round playoff series.

Are the Sixers tough enough to respond? Toughness has been a theme of this series so far, and the Knicks clearly have been the scrappier of the two teams. It’s worth remembering, though, that Daryl Morey traded away two of the Sixers’ toughest customers, Marcus Morris Sr. and Patrick Beverley, for the likes of Cam Payne and Buddy Hield. Indeed, Marcus Hayes remembers, although he loved those trades at the time.

Joel Embiid is playing with an achy left knee and the distraction of Bell’s palsy, not in good enough condition yet to finish strong in games. We cannot question his toughness, can we? Tyrese Maxey is scoring as much as always, so he’s not the problem. What is it? David Murphy suggests that in reality, the Sixers need one big thing.

How about bringing Tobias Harris off the bench? It’s worth a shot. Unless they make drastic changes, the Sixers are headed for vacation.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓ Who was the Sixers’ toughest player ever? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe was the best-hitting prospect in the Phillies’ farm system when he was traded for Brandon Marsh at the 2022 deadline. How has the deal worked out for both sides? Scott Lauber revisits the trade and writes that a final verdict on the deal may depend on whether Marsh can hit left-handed pitchers.

Though the Phillies jumped out to 3-0 and 4-2 leads, untimely missed scoring opportunities led to a 6-5 series opening loss against the Angels, who they haven’t beaten in Angel Stadium since 2003.

Next: Spencer Turnbull (2-0, 1.33 ERA) is set to pitch for the Phillies against the Angels’ Tyler Anderson (2-3, 1.78) tonight at 9:38 (NBCSP+).

The 76ers have landed in a 3-1 deficit against the Knicks for many reasons, including Jalen Brunson’s brilliance, rebounding issues, and a dearth of offensive production when Joel Embiid goes to the bench. The last point shouldn’t be a surprise given how the Sixers struggled when Embiid missed eight weeks after knee surgery. That has been just as pronounced against the Knicks. The Sixers have a 43-point edge in the 127 minutes Embiid has logged during this series, and a 38-point deficit in the 33 minutes when he sits out, Gina Mizell writes.

Next: The Sixers visit the Knicks tonight at 7 in Game 5 of their playoff series (TNT).

No surprise here: Jason Kelce is beginning his television career. The retired Eagles center is taking a TV job at ESPN, where he’ll join the network’s Monday Night Countdown pregame show leading up to Monday Night Football, according to sources. After he announced his retirement in March, Kelce was pursued by just about every TV network and Amazon for a role on their NFL telecasts.

More from the NFL broadcasting front: Former Falcons QB Matt Ryan, the pride of Penn Charter, is joining CBS’s pregame show, The NFL Today.

As far as the Eagles’ newest players, we’ve got analysis from Devin Jackson on NFL draft topics including Cooper DeJean’s versatility, while beat writers Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner weigh the pick at No. 40 overall.

Episode 3 of unCovering the Birds: Dive into the remarkable journey of Reed Blankenship in the latest episode, as Jeff McLane explores how the undrafted rookie overcame adversity to secure a pivotal role in the Eagles defense. From a potentially career-ending injury to becoming an indispensable team member, Blankenship has shown resilience and determination. LISTEN NOW

Tonight at Subaru Park, the Union and the Seattle Sounders will resume a March 9 game that was stopped in the sixth minute because of a rain-soaked field. The rules require that both teams’ lineups be the same as they were that night, unless anyone is injured or traded. That means there will be a few changes for each side. Jonathan Tannenwald goes over the details of MLS’s resumption rules.

On the women’s scene, the U.S. and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 World Cup and will instead bid for 2031.

Next: The Union will make up the weather-suspended home matchup with Seattle tonight at 7:30 (Apple TV).

Who was the last running back selected in the first round of the draft by the Eagles? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Siran Stacy

B) Keith Byars

C) Anthony Toney

D) Michael Haddix

We asked you: What do you think of the Eagles’ haul in the draft? Among your responses:

The Eagles should receive an A for their draft haul. They filled almost every need except a swing tackle. But then after the draft they signed Mekhi Becton who solved that need. Now going into the season they seem to be set all over the board. The outlook is very bright. — Richard F.

Very confusing draft with all the trades etc., but hopefully Howie and his team have done a good job with what they had to work with. Certainly no big-name picks and nothing to match some of our #1 picks of the recent past such as Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and Lane Johnson. We can only hope that some of the young defensive players picked can help a defense that allowed the 3rd most points and the second most passing yards in the NFL last year. The only really exciting pick was Jeremiah Trotter’s son with hopes of like father like son. — Everett S.

That is the 76ers fans fault. They sold them the tickets. No sympathy from me. Plus the Sixers got beat by a bunch of guys from Villanova who weren’t good enough for the Sixers. I was rooting for the Knicks, too. And Embiid pulled another Embiid. Disappeared in the 4th quarter. — Bill M.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Marcus Hayes, David Murphy, Gina Mizell, Scott Lauber, Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Devin Jackson, Rob Tornoe, Jonathan Tannenwald, Gabriela Carroll, Matthew Frank, Jeff Neiburg, and Isabella DiAmore.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Again, thank you for reading. Tune in Wednesday when Maria will be at the controls for Sports Daily. — Jim