Sixers Fall to Knicks 108-102 in Game 2 Without Joel Embiid
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, right, drives past Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) during the first half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki wamura)
The Sixers pushed the Knicks into a four-quarter sprint in Game 2 and looked capable of stealing one at Madison Square Garden before New York pulled away late for a 108-102 win.
The Sixers announced before Game 2 that their biggest difference maker, Joel Embiid, would miss the game with ankle and hip injuries that would keep him out of this important game. Without Embiid in the lineup, the Sixers knew they’d have to start fast, and it would take a complete team effort to escape Madison Square Garden with a win.
The first half was an absolute track meet, with the Knicks forced to play smaller, with Karl Anthony Towns seeing limited action due to foul trouble. The Sixers wanted to turn the game into a track meet, and the Knicks were more than happy to play at this pace, as evidenced by the 62-61 halftime score. Neither team pulled away, and kept answering back with the lead never drifting past six for either team until the fourth quarter, where a 9-0 Knicks run sealed the deal late.
Sixers Live and Die From Downtown Without Embiid in the Lineup
Without Embiid in the lineup, the Sixers had to lean on the distance shot to stay a step ahead of the Knicks. They came out in the first quarter firing and hitting from distance. All of the Sixers starters got in on the deep shooting, particularly Paul George, who hit two huge three pointers to keep the Sixers in the game in the first, two of six made threes in the first.
The second quarter was all about Tyrese Maxey, who started driving the lane so much that he almost single-handedly put the Knicks’ bigs in foul trouble by driving the lane with purpose, requiring the Knicks’ interior defense to reach in and get in foul trouble, particularly Towns, who picked up 3 quick fouls and sat all of the second quarter in foul trouble.
In the second half, the Sixers would struggle more inside with Towns back on the floor, but the second half would be more deep shooting anytime the Knicks would pull ahead. George continued to shoot the lights out because the Knicks weren’t playing him closely. VJ Edgecombe started catching fire from beyond the arc in the third and helped keep the Sixers in the game. The fourth quarter would be very competitive until the last two minutes, with the Sixers running out of gas, and the accumulation of 18 turnovers caught up with them.
Drummond and Bona Pick Up Slack in the Post
It was obvious early on that the Knicks would test the Sixers post players frequently, which they did without the Sixers big man in the middle. Fortunately for the Sixers, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona were more than capable of holding off the Knicks’ charge and helped to limit Towns to only nine minutes in the first half. With Towns sitting, Drummond played well on both sides of the court without the Knicks big man sitting. There was no real drop-off in play when Bona rotated in, which was one of the factors that kept the Sixers in the game in the first half.
In the second half, Towns came in playing under much more control, and the tables turned in the third quarter with both Drummond and Bona unable to stop Towns when he was shooting, opening up his drives into the paint. It was the Sixers bigs reaching in. As the third went on, the Sixers started positioning better and holding the defensive structure better, which helped to right the ship. As the fourth started, Towns was less of a factor because the combination of Drummond and Bona, with the inside help from Dominick Barlow, helped keep the Knicks out of the paint.
Sixers Couldn’t Maintain Offensive Pace Late in the Game
The frenetic pace of the first three quarters was something that appeared to be in the Sixers favor, but the Knicks were too much for the Sixers, especially as the game went on. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby took over with under five minutes to play. These were the moments where the Sixers missed Embiid in this game. Because Embiid didn’t play, it forced Maxey to play the entire second half, which definitely led to him not having the same explosive first step he normally has.
The Sixers played a great game, given the pre-game news of Embiid going from probable to out, and his replacements gave a great effort in the game, and hung around in the game until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. The second round of the playoffs is never going to be easy, but the Sixers proved that they can hang in there even without their glue guy on the floor. Ultimately, the Knicks were too late in the game as they walked away with a 108-102 win. The Sixers are used to playing from behind, and if Embiid can return for Game 3, this series can flip quickly.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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