The Philadelphia 76ers have punched their ticket to the second round of the playoffs, and the basketball world is buzzing. After completing a historic comeback from a 3-1 series deficit, the Sixers eliminated their heated rivals, the Boston Celtics, with a commanding 109-100 victory in Game 7 on Saturday. Now, all eyes turn to a familiar foe: the New York Knicks.

This Round 2 matchup is more than just another series—it's a rematch of the 2024 first-round battle that saw the Knicks edge out the Sixers 4-2 in a nail-biter. The margin was razor-thin, with New York outscoring Philadelphia by just one point across six games (650-649). For Tyrese Maxey and his squad, those memories still sting, but they're also fuel for the fire.

"That was two years ago," Maxey reflected after the Game 7 win. "It's in the past, but it definitely didn't feel good at the time. It was a very competitive series—we lost 4-2, but the margin was minus-one or something like that. It was really close. I expect nothing less this time around. Actually, I expect more. That was a first-round matchup; this is the second round. Both teams are going to come out extremely competitive."

The Sixers have evolved since that 2024 series. Back then, they relied on veteran Kyle Lowry in the backcourt alongside Maxey. While Lowry was helpful, he wasn't producing at the level of rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who has emerged as a key contributor. Edgecombe turned heads with big performances against the Knicks during the regular season, and he's ready to carry that momentum into the playoffs.

"They're a really great team," Edgecombe said of the Knicks. "A really great team. Obviously, they've played together for a while, and they have good chemistry. They play hard. But we just have to go in there and do the same thing—match their energy, match their intensity. May the best team win."

With Game 1 set for Monday, the stage is set for another epic showdown between two of the Eastern Conference's most passionate teams. For the Sixers, this isn't just about revenge—it's about proving they've grown, both as individuals and as a unit. Expect nothing less than a hard-fought, high-intensity battle from the opening tip.