Sixers lose frantic Game 2 to the Knicks; Tyrese Maxey goes cold; Embiid status for Game 3 unclear

The 76ers couldn't have asked for a better first half. They went into intermission with a 62-61 lead thanks to stellar performances from the entire roster.

Tyrese Maxey (19 points), Paul George (13), and Kelly Oubre Jr., (10) provided offense. VJ Edgecombe played the most important defensive assignment, hounding Jalen Brunson who still managed to score 16 on 5-for-12 shooting. And Adem Bona kept plays alive with timely rebounds. He had seven in the first half.

Without Joel Embiid, the Sixers caught a break when big man Mitchell Robinson was ruled out for illness. But neutralizing Karl-Anthony Towns with three fouls was the most important development of the game. He picked up three fouls and played only eight minutes but still scored nine points, which doesn't bode well for the Sixers if he stays out of foul trouble to end the game.

The 76ers' couldn't buy a shot in Game 1 of their second-round series against the New York Knicks.

After getting a bit of rest to recover from their seven-game series against the Boston Celtics, Game 2 couldn't look more different.

The Sixers shot the nets off in the first half on Wednesday night. After hitting only 30 of 73 shots (41%) and 11 of 30 three-pointers, the Sixers hit seven threes in the first 16 minutes on Wednesday. They were 14-for-24 from the field.

Jalen Brunson didn't score his first bucket – two free throws – until the 3:05 mark in the first quarter.

It was quite the shift after Brunson started Game 1's 137-98 blowout win at a torrid pace. Brunson scored 14 of his 35 points in the first frame on Monday, shooting 6-for-9 from the field.

The Sixers knew it was important to get him under control early, and placed one of their best perimeter defender on him: rookie VJ Edgecombe.

Paul George is off to quite the start at Madison Square Garden.

The Sixers need all the offense they can get without Joel Embiid, and George has stepped up. He's gotten hot from deep and hit three three-pointers in the first quarter.

Situated in the left corner on most of the Sixers' offense so far, George has caught the ball in that spot and fired away twice. He's also mixed in a three from the wing, an 11-foot midrange shot and a layup.

After the way Joel Embiid performed, it's easy to forget after the 76ers pulled off wins in the Play-In Tournament and first round without him.

Prior to his return from a 17-day layoff following an appendectomy, the Sixers won Game 2 of their best-of-seven series against the Boston Celtics.

On that night, rookie VJ Edgecombe stepped up and created history, becoming the youngest player to record a 30-point, 10-rebound performance. Well, with Embiid out for Game 2 against the New York Knicks with ankle and hip injuries, he'll have another change to team up with Tyrese Maxey and grab an improbable victory.

NEW YORK – Andre Drummond will start at center tonight for the 76ers in place of the injured Joel Embiid.

It is a notable lineup change for the Sixers, after Adem Bona started Games 1 and 2 of their first-round series against Boston when Embiid was still recovering from his appendectomy. Bona struggled with foul trouble and finishing around the basket early in that series, and was out of the rotation once Embiid returned.

Those struggles for Bona continued in limited minutes in Game 1 of this series. He picked up five fouls and committed three turnovers in only five minutes of garbage-time action.

The 76ers will be without Joel Embiid for Wednesday night's Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.

And while that will directly affect the way they approach this game, it also changes how the Knicks' strategy in this critical matchup.

For the Celtics, that meant placing the Sixers' reserve centers in the pick-and-roll and feating on mismatches on offense. After Jalen Brunson's big 35-point Game 1 performance, we could see a lot of the same here tonight.

New York City area restaurants are striking the word “Philly” from their menus to support the Knicks during the Eastern Conference semifinals, according to a New York Post article.

“Philly needs to understand, New York is the king‚” Louis Cretella, the owner of Dario’s Pizza in West Hempstead, told the tabloid.

Dario’s — which purportedly sells 2,500 cheesesteaks a week — is rebranding the sandwich as the “Philly SUCKS” cheesesteak for the duration of the series. For hard copy menus, “[Expletive] Philly" is scribbled in black marker over the item.

Joel Embiid will miss Game 2 of the Sixers' second-round series against the New York Knicks with a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness.

Embiid's absence is significant and could have a huge impact on the series after the Knicks captured a convincing 137-98 victory in Game 1. Going down 0-2 against a Knicks team without everything clicking at the right time would be quite daunting.

And there's good reason to believe that could be the result. The Sixers are better in almost every conceivable way with Embiid.

Joel Embiid will miss Wednesday’s Game 2 of the 76ers’ second-round playoff series against the Knicks with a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness, according to the NBA’s official 1 p.m. injury report.

Embiid had been listed as probable to play Wednesday as recently as the 12:45 p.m. injury report, and was with the Sixers when they arrived at Madison Square Garden for their morning shootaround. He also was listed as probable entering Monday’s Game 1 with right hip soreness, before being officially upgraded to available 30 minutes before tipoff. He totaled 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting and four rebounds in the Sixers’ 137-98 blowout loss.

Embiid also is still less than a month removed from an appendectomy, which kept him sidelined until Game 4 of the Sixers’ first-round upset of the Boston Celtics. His presence and production — he averaged 28 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in his four games he played in that series – were critical for the Sixers rallying from down three games to one to win in seven games.

NEW YORK — When asked Tuesday about how the 76ers respond to getting drubbed by the Knicks in Game 1, starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr. reminded that “we kind of started the Boston series like this.”

Oubre is correct. The Sixers lost Game 1 in Boston by 32 points, before winning Game 2 on the road behind exceptional performances from VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey. When Boston then routed the Sixers in Game 4 to put their season on the brink, they won three consecutive games to advance to the second round in dramatic fashion.

Why do these Sixers have such a knack for flushing blowout losses?

The Sixers fan who was harassed by New York Knicks fans outside Madison Square Garden after Game 1 says he’ll be back for Game 2 on Wednesday.

Video posted to Instagram on Monday after the Sixers’ series-opening 137-98 loss to the Knicks showed a crowd of people outside Madison Square Garden pointing and yelling at a Sixers fan wearing a red Tyrese Maxey jersey.

A few members of the crowd tugged at the fan’s Maxey jersey, appearing to try and rip it or otherwise pull it off.

Nick Nurse immediately identified a string of pick-and-rolls plays in the middle of the floor as a subject of irritation, because the Knicks seemed to score in “pretty much every way they could.”

Three-point shooters left open when a 76ers perimeter defender could not get over the screen. A lob over the top to big man Mitchell Robinson. Jalen Brunson with lethal midrange jumpers, floaters, and attacks all the way to the basket.

“Just too easy,” Nurse said. “It wasn’t challenged.”

Tiki Barber has entered the chat.

Following the Sixers' loss to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series, Joel Embiid questioned whether a Mikal Bridges' hit on his midsection during the game – less than a month after an appendectomy – was "necessary."

“I don’t know if it was dirty or not,” Embiid said from the locker room. “I guess I’ve got to do a better job of protecting, especially that part [of my body]. … Tyrese was already gone, and it was kind of after the play.

Nick Nurse was away from the 76ers Tuesday to attend the funeral services for his brother, Steve, who died unexpectedly last week, the team told The Inquirer and The Athletic.

Steve Nurse, 62, died April 29, the day before the Sixers’ Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics in the first round. Nick Nurse left New York City following his team’s Game 1 loss to the Knicks on Monday night to travel to Ankeny, Iowa, for the services. The coach was expected to rejoin the Sixers in New York later Tuesday.

Like his brother, Steve dedicated much of his life to athletics. He spent 26 years as an equipment manager for the University of Northern Iowa, where Nick also is an alumnus. Steve’s obituary also states that he and his family “were avid NBA fans, most recently of the Philadelphia 76ers. They attended many games in person across the country and rarely missed broadcasts.”

If there's one constant in the NBA playoffs, it's channel jumping.

Game 2 of the Sixers' second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks will air on ESPN Wednesday night, beginning at 7 p.m.

Calling the game is Mike Breen alongside Richard Jefferson and former La Salle standout Tim Legler, with King of Prussia native Lisa Salters reporting from Madison Square Garden.