00:00All right, breaking news, 76ers, big man, Joel Embiid has been ruled out for game two
00:05tonight against the Knicks due to ankle and hip injuries.
00:08So let's talk about what this means for Mike Brown's approach game two with the host of
00:14New York Got Game, Dexter Henry.
00:16Dexter, I didn't expect to hear this, so let's get straight into this because he only logged
00:2125 minutes, 14 points, and four boards game one.
00:25That wasn't very Embiid-like, but does him now being out change the Knicks game plan and
00:32plan of attack tonight?
00:36I don't think it does.
00:38I think it makes things a little easier for them, obviously, without Embiid, but listen,
00:42the Knicks were able to attack Embiid because if you watch game one, you've been watching
00:45Embiid through this playoff run, he just hasn't been able to move.
00:50He just can't move the way he used to.
00:52You saw this in the Celtics series.
00:54The problem was for the Celtics, they didn't really have bigs or players that could really
00:58attack and challenge him.
00:59The Knicks do.
01:00They attacked him over and over in space and pick and roll situations.
01:03You saw Carthy Towns attack him and drive past him for a dunk once.
01:07Mikel Bridges did the same.
01:08So Embiid has been a liability.
01:11And listen, I talked to Stefan Bondi, our Knicks beat reporter here before the series,
01:15and we talked about the fact that, hey, look, a lot of people thought the Sixers could give
01:20the Knicks a run for their money.
01:21Steph said he loved this matchup for the Knicks, and a lot of it was because he didn't trust
01:25the health of Joel Embiid and Paul George.
01:28And there hasn't been reason to trust the health of both.
01:30So no, I don't think, Brandon, it just changes what the Knicks do.
01:33I think the Knicks still have to run their offense through Cat as the hub.
01:37They still have to attack and pick and roll situations.
01:39They still have to play the good basketball they've been playing offensively and defensively.
01:43But this does put more pressure on the Sixers role players to step up.
01:47We know Tyrese Maxey is going to try to come out with a big game, and the Knicks did play
01:52a couple of games without the Sixers having Joel Embiid this year.
01:55But offensively, I don't think this changes anything the Knicks do.
01:58I think they still have to attack and move the ball the way they've been doing these
02:02last couple of games.
02:03Let's go in deeper on Tyrese Maxey.
02:05Only 13 points game one.
02:08You kind of alluded to it a little bit.
02:09Does Nick Nurse kind of rely on him more heavily this game, too, tonight?
02:15And who do you feel else could be dangerous enough to step up and possibly burn the Knicks?
02:23Yeah, I think, listen, I expected even with him to be playing.
02:26I thought that Tyrese Maxey would come out with a lot of energy.
02:29He was 3 of 9 in the first game.
02:31You know, Mikkel Bridges, you got to give him credit, did a fantastic job on him defensively.
02:35You know, the only player on the Sixers that really, I think, did a great job with some
02:40of the shot-making we saw in game one was Paul George, and he's a guy I would watch for.
02:44He has been having himself a good series, but he's had his own injury history.
02:48He is an older player, now 35 and older with Paul George, but he's a guy who can step up.
02:53He's played big in big playoff games before.
02:55I know he's been called playoff P.
02:57That's a long time ago, but he still has the ability to do it, so you don't want to sleep
03:00on him.
03:01And then also, I would say don't sleep on the rookie, Vijay Edgecombe.
03:04This kid has got a lot of heart.
03:05I do not think he's scared at the moment.
03:07I'm sure he wants to have a big-time Madison Square Garden appearance.
03:11He was not, you know, highly efficient in game one, but he's a guy who has a lot of speed.
03:16That Sixers backcourt is quick.
03:18Fast don't lie, Brandon.
03:19And so the Knicks are going to have to contain both of them there.
03:22And I think if the Knicks, you know, you can't rest on your laurels.
03:25You can't get comfortable because you're up 1-0, because there's no Embiid, and you know
03:29what Embiid can do offensively.
03:30You have to have that same hunger and same intensity and give that same intensity more
03:35so.
03:35I talked about offense, Brandon, but it's defense that's really going to matter for the
03:39Knicks tonight.
03:40And look, the backcourt is tough, but I think you want to try to cut off the head of the
03:43snake with Maxie, but you can't let too many other guys beat you as well.
03:46And look, the backcourt is tough, but you can't let too many other guys beat you as well.
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