The Philadelphia 76ers are back in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2023—and they earned it the hard way. After falling behind 3-1 to the Boston Celtics, the Sixers showed real grit, rallying to win Game 7 on the road and silencing one of their biggest rivals. Now, standing between them and a trip to the conference finals—a feat Philly hasn't achieved since Allen Iverson led the charge in 2001—are the New York Knicks, another bitter foe with recent playoff history on their side.

These two teams met in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, with the Knicks prevailing in six games. That loss still stings, and the Sixers are hungry for revenge. But to get it, they'll need to solve a Knicks squad that has only gotten stronger. New York’s offense runs through its dynamic duo: Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. In Round 1 against the Atlanta Hawks, Brunson averaged 26.3 points while shooting nearly 38% from three-point range. Towns put up 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, connecting on 44.4% of his deep attempts. Everything the Knicks do starts with that two-man game, and role players like OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges thrive off the attention they draw. Anunoby was scorching hot from beyond the arc, hitting 56.7% of his threes in the Hawks series, while Bridges chipped in at 35.3%.

For the Sixers, the key to slowing New York down will be controlling the glass. The Knicks finished the regular season ranked seventh in rebounding (45.6 per game) and sixth in offensive rebounding (12.7 per game). In their first-round win over Atlanta, they grabbed 10.5 offensive boards per game, with Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby, and Hart crashing the glass with relentless energy. Those extra possessions can swing a series, and Philadelphia learned that lesson the hard way against Boston. In their losses to the Celtics, the Sixers were crushed on the boards. But in their wins, they managed to break even—or better. That trend will have to continue if they want to hang with a Knicks team that turns offensive rebounding into an art form.

This series will be a battle of wills: Philly’s star power and resilience versus New York’s depth and physicality. The Sixers have the talent to get it done, but they’ll need to stay disciplined, control the tempo, and win the battle of the boards. If they can do that, revenge—and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals—is well within reach.