The Philadelphia 76ers know a thing or two about digging themselves out of holes. After a historic Game 7 victory in Boston—completing the NBA's 14th comeback from a 3-1 series deficit—the Sixers looked like a team running on empty. And the New York Knicks made them pay.
On Monday night, the Knicks stormed to a 137-98 blowout win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, leaving the Sixers searching for answers—and energy. The short turnaround from their emotional series-clinching win in Boston left Joel Embiid and company appearing sluggish from the opening tip.
"Same as last series. They don't get any extra points for going up big tonight," veteran Paul George said, keeping the locker room focused. "We'll be ready for Game 2."
It was a familiar scene for Philadelphia. Just as in their first-round series against the Celtics, the Sixers found themselves on the wrong end of a lopsided opener. Back then, they lost Game 1 by 32 points, then suffered another 32-point defeat in Game 4 before mounting their historic comeback. Now, they'll need to summon that same resilience.
Coach Nick Nurse admitted uncertainty about how the quick turnaround would affect his team. "You can't make excuses, that's for sure," he said. "We knew it might be difficult, but you're never going to go into the game and say this is going to happen."
The numbers told the story early. New York shot an eye-popping 65.9% from the floor in the first half, building a 74-51 lead by intermission. The game got so out of hand that Nurse was able to rest his starters for the fourth quarter—a silver lining for a team that had logged heavy minutes just 48 hours earlier.
"Coming from the series we had and the physicality we displayed, I would like to think that maybe guys were tired," Embiid said. "But it's not an excuse, though. On to Game 2."
The 76ers narrowly avoided the worst playoff loss in franchise history—a 121-81 defeat to Boston in 1982. Interestingly, they came back to win that series too. If history is any guide, Philadelphia knows how to bounce back. The question now is whether they have enough gas left in the tank to do it again.
For fans and players alike, the message is clear: this series is far from over. The Sixers have been here before, and they've shown they can turn a blowout into a rallying cry. Game 2 awaits, and with it, a chance to even the score.