Jalen Brunson has been an absolute disaster shooting the ball in the first two games of this series and yet the Knicks find themselves up 2-0. How is that possible? Believe it or not, New York ranks first in offensive efficiency through the first 2 games of the postseason. But the question is can they translate that onto the road in Game 3? They’ve not had much luck in recent meetings vs Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center, winning just 4 times in their last 15 visits. New York enters the game as a 4.5 point underdog, they were a consistent 23-18 ATS in road games during the regular season. This team is currently on a 7-game win streak if we count the regular season, but tonight’s game will be a true test of character for Tom Thibodeau’s men.
Expect a rowdy crowd tonight at Wells Fargo as the 76ers’ season depends on this game. Going down 3-0 is simply not an option for Joel Embiid and his teammates. Tyrese Maxey just won the Most Improved Player award, he will receive it prior to tip-off which should fire up the crowd even more. The 76ers went 24-17-1 ATS in 41 home games this regular season, they’re also on a 5-game win streak in their own building. Role players generally tend to play a lot better at home, so I’m expecting the likes of Kelly Oubre Jr., Buddy Hield and Kyle Lowry to all post better numbers. One guy that could be the x-factor is Tobias Harris. Normally the 3rd scoring option behind Embiid and Maxey, Harris has had a pedestrian series so far, he will need to pick it up if the 76ers want to make this a series.
