The Philadelphia 76ers barely had time to catch their breath after finally dispatching the Boston Celtics. Now, they're heading back to the scene of one of the most unforgettable playoff battles in recent memory: Madison Square Garden. The Eastern Conference semifinals are set, and it's a rematch that fans have been craving since that epic 2024 first-round clash.

Two years ago, the Knicks edged out the Sixers in six games, winning the series by a razor-thin margin of just one point—650 to 649. That series was a masterclass in playoff drama, featuring jaw-dropping performances from Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey, both of whom seemed to trade heroic moments like heavyweight punches. The crowd noise was deafening, not just in New York, but in Philadelphia too, and Joel Embiid hasn't let himself forget a single second of it.

Now, as the teams prepare to tip off again on Monday, the stakes are even higher. "I expect nothing less. Actually more," Maxey said with a confident grin. "That was a first-round matchup. This is a second-round matchup. Both teams are going to come out extremely competitive. It's going to be a dogfight, a chess match, and I'm just ready to get started."

The Knicks come into this series well-rested after a dominant Game 6 victory over Atlanta, where they set an NBA postseason record with a 47-point halftime lead en route to a 140-89 blowout. The Sixers, on the other hand, have had just one full day to recover from their historic comeback. Philadelphia became the first No. 7 seed to defeat a No. 2 seed since the first round adopted a best-of-seven format, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Celtics 109-100 on Saturday.

That kind of resilience is exactly what defined the 2024 series between these two Atlantic Division rivals. The Sixers were on the verge of tying things up in Game 2 before the Knicks stormed back from five points down in the final 30 seconds. Brunson erupted for a Knicks playoff-record 47 points in Game 4, and just when New York thought they had it wrapped up in Game 5, Maxey dropped seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation to force overtime and steal the win.

"Man, that was a fun series. We were going punch for punch," Knicks guard Josh Hart recalled after practice on Sunday. "When you think about it, you always remember the good games."

With both teams carrying that history into this new chapter, one thing is certain: this series has all the makings of another instant classic. And Embiid has a simple message for the fans back in Philadelphia: "Don't sell your tickets."