Why 76ers aren’t doomed after close Game 2 loss to Knicks

This Philadelphia 76ers team is no stranger to adversity. But the clock may be striking midnight on the team’s Cinderella run. On Wednesday night, the 76ers, facing the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, were without Joel Embiid and still gave their opponent a run for their money. In the end, however, their bid for an upset ran out of juice, as their offense sputtered in the fourth quarter of a 108-102 loss to fall behind 2-0 in the series.

It’s easy to think that the series is far from over for the 76ers, as they did come back from 3-1 down to upset the higher-seeded Boston Celtics in the previous round of the playoffs. But this Knicks team has flipped a switch since Game 4 of their first-round clash against the Atlanta Hawks, and this is a team that is impervious to adversity on the road, as they obliterated the Hawks in Game 6 at State Farm Arena.

Embiid’s injury also casts a ton of uncertainty upon the 76ers, and at this point, it looks as though Philly has simply run into the better team on both ends of the floor.

Be that as it may, the 76ers aren’t doomed quite yet even after falling down 2-0 against the Knicks, and here are a few reasons as to why that is the case.

This 76ers team has no quit

What turned the 76ers-Celtics in Philly’s favor was Boston’s overreliance on the three-point shot. If there’s anything the Knicks do better, it’s attack the basket. They scored 50 points in the paint in Game 2, as they were able to make their way to the paint over and over again amid Embiid’s absence.

But even with that being the case, the 76ers were able to trade blows with the Knicks all night long. That is a testament to the team’s preparedness and refusal to quit even when the odds are against them.

This 76ers team doesn’t know when or even how to give up, and it seems like they may have stumbled upon a winning game plan in Game 2 — they simply need to make their shots.

They were aggressive in getting the ball out of Brunson’s hands when they were chasing the game, and this is something that perhaps the 76ers could do even more aggressively for Game 3.

But at the end of the day, it’s hard to see Tyrese Maxey struggling yet again at home the way he did towards the end of Game 2. It did not help at all that he might have been gassed after playing 47 total minutes on the night, but a 9-23 shooting night is not going to be a normal occurrence for the 76ers’ star guard.

There is no place like home

The 76ers did lose their first two playoff games at home against the Celtics, but with their back against the wall, there is going to be no place like home. Philly’s crowd can be loud, and they were certainly buoyed by the crowd’s energy when the 76ers-Celtics series shifted back to Xfinity Mobile Arena for Game 6.

Being down 2-0 in the series is not ideal. But they will have the power of desperation on their side in Game 3, and in front of their home crowd, no less. Role players also shoot better at home than on the road, so perhaps Quentin Grimes or even Dominick Barlow could be in for huge nights in front of a friendly crowd.

Is Philly about to get some injury luck in their favor?

Embiid did miss Game 2, but he didn’t miss it due to knee problems, which was quite the cause for concern especially after their Game 7 slugfest against the Celtics. Perhaps he’ll be back for the 76ers in Game 3 in a must-win situation, and after getting some much-needed rest, perhaps Embiid would be able to turn in the kind of performance that’s needed to rescue the team’s season, as going down 3-0 in the playoffs is a death sentence.

Meanwhile, the injury bug may be catching up with the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson did miss Game 2 as well due to illness, and OG Anunoby was conspicuously absent for the Knicks in crunch time of their Game 2 victory after suffering a leg injury late.

If Anunoby were to miss time, that would be a huge boost for the 76ers. Anunoby has been a two-way nuisance all playoffs long, and him not being out there would make life so much easier for Philly on both ends of the floor.

After years of being unlucky on the injury front, perhaps the 76ers would finally see injury luck turn in their favor.

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