Only drastic change can save the Sixers. Tobias Harris off the bench might be the best answer.

Does the blame all land on Joel Embiid’s left knee?

Sometime soon, the 76ers center is expected to receive much-needed rest before joining Team USA in July for the Paris Olympics. The future Hall of Famer is expected to win a gold medal to cement his legacy as one of the all-time great big men.

Yet he usually spends summers overcoming injuries and dealing with the disappointment that comes with another failed postseason.

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Even though Embiid will be rubbing elbows with LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Co., this appears to be another “What-if” summer for him and the Sixers. What if he was healthy? What if they had a reliable center to back him up? What if the Sixers had more toughness? What if they had better supporting players? These same questions have been asked since the beginning of the Sixers’ string of seven straight postseason appearances.

And that brings us to Tuesday at 7 p.m. The New York Knicks carry a commanding 3-1 series lead into Game 5, which will be played at Madison Square Garden. No Sixers team has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series. Only drastic change can alter that.

For now, there doesn’t appear to be a sense of urgency from the Sixers. Instead of practice Monday, the team had film study and traveled to New York. There was no media availability, which was maybe a good thing, because coach Nick Nurse was destined to be bombarded with questions about Embiid’s health and his team’s fourth-quarter meltdowns.

On second thought, practicing might not make a difference. Game 4, like every game this series, was won by the team that wanted it more.

All-Star Jalen Brunson had 47 points and 10 assists to lead the Knicks to a 97-92 victory. Meanwhile, Embiid was held to one point and shot 0-for-5 while playing the entire fourth quarter. His teammates weren’t any better, as the Sixers made just 25% of their shots, going 1 of 9 on three-pointers. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored their last field goal with 5 minutes, 4 seconds to play.

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Embiid’s critics will point out that he made just 3 of 18 of field goal attempts and totaled just two rebounds in the series’ four fourth quarters.

But it’s obvious the lack of lift, mobility, and conditioning associated with his surgically repaired knee hinders the seven-time All-Star late in games. Despite that fact, the Sixers can’t afford to rest him. Here’s why: In the 160 minutes with Embiid on the court, they have outscored the Knicks by 34 points. But with him off the court, the Sixers have been outscored by 38 points.

He’s averaging 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 40.1 minutes in the series. All-Star Tyrese Maxey, the team’s only other consistent scoring threat, is averaging 29.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 43.3 minutes.

So to extend the series, the Sixers need to figure out a way to generate scoring when Embiid’s out of the game.

One option would be to alter the starting lineup. They could start Nico Batum in place of Tobias Harris or Oubre. As a three-and-D forward, Batum doesn’t need the ball. The Sixers could assign him to cover Brunson or Josh Hart. Offensively, he could stretch the floor as a catch-and-shoot threat from the three-point line.

Coming off the bench would enable Harris to get ample touches and be a primary scoring option when Embiid’s on the bench.

Playing alongside Embiid and Maxey, he has been underutilized. And when Harris does get the ball, it’s often late in the shot clock, leading to rushed attempts. The power forward is the team’s fifth-leading scorer this postseason, averaging 8.8 points on 39.5% shooting. He has made just 3 of 12 three-pointers. That is a major drop-off from 17.2 points in the regular season.

Meanwhile, Oubre has come on as of late. After scoring a total of 14 points in Games 1 and 2, he has averaged 17 points in the last two. So the swingman is starting to find a way to contribute.

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But in order to win Tuesday, the Sixers must get Harris involved. The best way to ensure that could be having him come off the bench.

By doing so, the Sixers would take a chance. Harris is a career starter who could mentally check out from the move, but the frustration that would come from a perceived demotion could fire him up in a must-win game against his hometown Knicks.

The Sixers must make some type of adjustment to get an additional scorer. If not, this season could end as soon as Tuesday.

And it will be no different from the last six seasons.

The next move would be to blame an early postseason exit on Embiid’s health and try to convince themselves things will be much better with a new crop of role players.