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Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks star point guards Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson's first-round playoff showdown begins on Saturday in New York. While the two first-time All-Stars have each made three previous playoff appearances, this year marks their first head-to-head matchup.
Despite Brunson's Knicks being the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed (50-32), Maxey's seventh-seeded Sixers (47-35) are slightly favorited (-125 odds on DraftKings).
A major reason for this is Maxey's co-star, reigning MVP Joel Embiid, is back after missing extended time due to a left knee injury. Meanwhile, Brunson's co-star Julius Randle is out for the playoffs after undergoing right shoulder surgery.
The Sixers went 31-8 with Embiid available this season, while the Knicks went 21-15 without Randle. However, regardless of team records, Maxey and Brunson's head-to-head battle projects to be one of the most exciting of the first round.
On that note, here is how the high-scoring guards have fared over their first three playoff runs.
Tyrese Maxey vs Jalen Brunson NBA playoff stats
Tyrese Maxey made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. In his first playoff run (2020-21), he came off the bench, offering limited production. However, the 23-year-old started the last two years, serving as one of the Sixers' top playoff scoring options (20.7 points per game over 23 games).
As for Jalen Brunson, his first two playoff appearances came as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. In his playoff debut (2020-21), he played a small bench role.
However, in his second playoff appearance (2021-22), Brunson broke out, serving as the Mavericks' second-leading scorer (21.6 ppg over 18 games). His strong play earned him a four-year, $104 million contract from the Knicks the following offseason.
The 27-year-old has since developed into a franchise-level player for New York. In his Knicks playoff debut last year, he led the team in scoring (27.8 ppg over 11 games), looking the part of a legitimate No. 1-scoring option.
Below is a comparison of Maxey and Brunson's career playoff stats:
Tyrese Maxey vs Jalen Brunson NBA playoff records
Tyrese Maxey has won a playoff series in each of his first three playoff appearances. However, he has yet to make it past the second round, as the Sixers haven't made a conference finals appearance since 2001. Through 35 career playoff games, Maxey has a record of 20-15.
As for Jalen Brunson, he lost in the first round during his first playoff run with Dallas. However, the following year, he helped guide the franchise to the 2022 Western Conference finals.
Additionally, in his first playoff run with New York, Brunson led the Knicks to the East semifinals. The franchise hasn't achieved a conference finals berth since 2000. So, he will look to end that drought this year. Through 36 career playoff games, Brunson has a record of 18-18.
So, both he and Maxey have fairly extensive playoff experience entering their first-round matchup.
Also Read: Jalen Brunson subtly brushes off being snubbed on Team USA Basketball roster for Paris Olympics
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