New York dominated Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, but expect a much stronger Philadelphia response in Game 2.
Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks
The Knicks crushed the 76ers in the series opener, but the context around Philadelphia’s performance is important.
The Sixers entered Game 1 fresh off a gruelling seven-game series win over Boston, with their starters logging massive minutes across the final stretch of that series.
Nick Nurse waved the white flag early in the blowout and managed minutes accordingly. Expect Philadelphia to bounce back with far greater intensity here.
Leg 1 - Karl-Anthony Towns Over 15.5 Rebounds + Assists
Karl-Anthony Towns’ role has completely evolved during this Knicks playoff run.
Across the postseason, Towns is averaging 10.6 rebounds and six assists per game, already clearing this line comfortably.
But the bigger story is the tactical adjustment New York has made since trailing Atlanta 2-1 earlier in the playoffs.
The Knicks have increasingly used Towns as a facilitator at the top of the floor in a five-out system, running plenty of pindown and flow action through him. Since Game 4 of that series, Towns has averaged 18.3 rebounds plus assists, with a monstrous 23.6 per-36 figure.
Leg 2 - OG Anunoby 15+ Points
Anunoby has been outstanding this postseason and continues to thrive alongside the Knicks’ spacing-heavy offense.
OG is averaging 21 points per game in the playoffs, hitting 15+ points in six of his seven postseason appearances.
His outside shooting has been elite too, knocking down triples at just under 60%.
He scored 18 points in only 30 minutes during Game 1 and should push closer to 36 minutes in what projects as a far tighter contest.
Leg 3 - Tyrese Maxey 20+ Points
Maxey’s quiet Game 1 doesn’t concern me.
The fatigue factor after the Boston series was obvious, and Philadelphia simply never looked competitive once the game got away from them.
Despite the poor opener, Maxey is still averaging 25.1 points per game this postseason and has cleared 20+ points in seven of eight playoff games.
The lone miss came in Game 1 where he scored 13 points in just 26 minutes. Expect that playing time to jump significantly in Game 2.
Same Game Multi
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 15.5 RA / OG Anunoby 15+ Points / Tyrese Maxey 20+ Points = $4.15
Value Bet - Karl-Anthony Towns 6+ Assists @ $2.75
As mentioned above, Towns’ emergence as a distributor has transformed New York’s offense.
Across the last four playoff games, KAT is averaging eight assists per game and has recorded 6+ assists in all four.
That includes Game 1 against Philadelphia despite playing only 20 minutes in the blowout.
If this game stays competitive, expect Towns to play around 34 minutes which creates genuine upside for a huge assist total. The 6+ market looks excellent value, while a triple-double at $16 is certainly worth consideration too.
