The Philadelphia 76ers entered Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Knicks with a clear game plan—but without their MVP-caliber center, Joel Embiid. And as the final buzzer sounded at Madison Square Garden, the absence of a true finisher proved costly in a 108-102 loss that put the Sixers in a 2-0 series hole.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown knew better than to underestimate a shorthanded opponent. "We know that [Tyrese Maxey is] going to be ultra aggressive," Brown said before the game. "Paul George is going to be aggressive. [VJ] Edgecombe is going to be aggressive. Those guys probably see it as an opportunity for more touches for themselves. Those guys are all capable of stepping their game up to another level."

And for stretches, they did. But when the game tightened in the fourth quarter, the Sixers' offense went ice cold. Maxey managed just five points on 2-of-7 shooting in the final period. George and Edgecombe were both held scoreless, combining for an 0-for-9 effort. As a team, Philadelphia scored only 12 points in the fourth quarter, shooting a dismal 4-of-19 from the field.

The Knicks, trailing by one point entering the fourth, seized the moment. They clamped down defensively and rallied to a hard-fought victory, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Embiid was initially listed as probable with a right ankle sprain, but six hours before tip-off, the Sixers ruled him out with that ankle issue plus right hip soreness. "He woke up with a bunch of soreness," head coach Nick Nurse explained. "They were treating him during shootaround, etc., and then after shootaround, they determined he'd be out."

Veteran big man Andre Drummond started in Embiid's place, while second-year center Adem Bona moved up the rotation. But both battled foul trouble all night—Drummond picked up his fourth in the third quarter, and Bona earned his fifth later in the period. That forced Nurse to deploy 6-foot-9 forward Dominick Barlow at center for five minutes at the end of the third quarter, a smaller lineup they stuck with in the fourth.

The Knicks took full advantage, outscoring Philadelphia 56-30 in the paint. Without Embiid's rim protection and scoring punch, the Sixers simply lacked the finishing gear needed to close out a playoff game on the road.

Embiid returned just 17 days after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in April, but he wasn't available when his team needed him most. Now, the Sixers head back to Philadelphia with their backs against the wall, searching for answers—and a finisher—before the series slips away entirely.