Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Prediction & Match Preview - October 26th, 2021

The Philadelphia 76ers resume their early road schedule as they go up against the New York Knicks at the historic Madison State Garden in New York City on Tuesday.

Following a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 76ers will be facing a more talented team that currently leads the NBA in three-point field goals made (18) and attempted (49).

The Knicks were off to a quick 2-0 start in the 2021-22 season. However, they stumbled all over themselves with turnovers against the Orlando Magic and lost a close one. Julius Randle, Derrick Rose and co. are expected to bounce back against a tough Philadelphia 76ers team that continues to miss the services of Ben Simmons.

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Match Details

Fixture: Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks

Date and Time: Tuesday, October 26th, 2021; 7:30 PM ET ( Wednesday, October 27th; 5:00 AM IST)

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Philadelphia 76ers Preview

With Ben Simmons indefinitely out of the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup, Tyrese Maxey has made the most of his opportunities. His minutes played, field goals attempted/made and points per game have more than doubled. However, the sophomore guard has to become more efficient with his shooting, despite the increased usage and volume of his shots.

Maxey is only shooting 43.2% from the field compared to the 55.7% of what Ben Simmons averaged last season. The Philadelphia 76ers' de facto point guard will have to do better with his field goal percentages or the defenses will just make it harder for Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.

The Philadelphia 76ers frontcourt could be exposed. Besides Joel Embiid, only Andre Drummond is capable of truly handling the center position. Drummond did not play the last game because of an ankle sprain, while Embiid has been having trouble with knee soreness.

If one or both of them will be limited or miss time, the New York Knicks' bruising frontcourt of Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Obi Toppin and Taj Gibson will make it a long night for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Key Player - Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid will have a bigger load to carry this season for the Philadelphia 76ers without Ben Simmons.

Joel Embiid's performances in the last three games were not up to his usual standards. He has been quite solid but is well below his MVP-level performance last season.

Perhaps the brilliance of his performance last campaign only highlights his slow start this year. While he has not been spectacular, he has been good enough to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 2-1 record.

This season, Embiid seems to be allowing Tobias Harris to get going first and fast, knowing that he needs the latter to play well. His slow start could be out of necessity to get others going early. He could also be adjusting to the way teams are playing him, considering that the Philadelphia 76ers don't have one of their integral pieces.

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Whatever the case may be, the Philadelphia 76ers will need every bit of what Joel Embiid can do to contend for the playoffs.

Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup

G - Tyrese Maxey | G - Seth Curry | F - Danny Green | F - Tobias Harris | C - Joel Embiid

New York Knicks Preview

The New York Knicks have been dominant in their last three games, including that loss against the Orlando Magic. The Knicks were leading throughout that game until the youthful bunch of new Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley turned things around in the fourth quarter.

The New York Knicks are a much better team than the one that won just a single game against the Atlanta Hawks last postseason. They now have more shooters with the arrivals of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. RJ Barrett has also taken his development further this season, which makes New York's perimeter game a definite threat.

Tom Thibodeau, however, built the foundation of the New York Knicks offense on the huge shoulders of Julius Randle. He has been quite unguardable the past three games and should be his dominant self against the Philadelphia 76ers.

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The development of Obi Toppin and the return of Mitchell Robinson has made the New York Knicks' frontline one of the deepest and best in the league. Add Taj Gibson to the equation and the NBA is looking at a talented, athletic and punishing frontline that'll cause headaches this season.

Key Player - Julius Randle

Julius Randle is showing no signs of slowing down after getting his first All-Star selection last season.

Julius Randle is the face of the New York Knicks franchise, and there's a reason why he holds that enviable distinction. After career-highs in several statistical categories, including minutes played, scoring, rebounding, assists and three-point percentage, Randle is off to another blazing start. He's currently putting up 28.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and an incredible 6.3 assists a game.

As impressive as those numbers are, seeing Julius Randle play is even more spectacular. He has developed his ball-handling to the point where he can manipulate defenses. That average of 6.3 assists is no fluke. He led the New York Knicks in assists last season and will likely do so again this time around.

Down the block, Randle has nimble footwork and impeccable touch for a man his size. When the game calls for it, he can use his beefy frame to muscle his way for dunks or contested shots.

The New York Knicks will only go as far as Julius Randle can take them.

New York Knicks Predicted Lineup

G - Kemba Walker | G - Evan Fournier | F - RJ Barrett | F - Julius Randle | C - Mitchell Robinson

76ers vs Knicks Match Prediction

The New York Knicks will be eager to make up for their loss to the Orlando Magic on their home floor. They'll come in aggressive and fast. The raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden will only spur them on.

The Philadelphia 76ers had the best record in the East last year. The Knicks will be looking forward to testing their mettle against Joel Embiid and the crew.

The 76ers are heading into another road fixture and are already suffering from minor knocks. Despite the much-maligned play of Ben Simmons, the team is clearly missing his services. They'll need much better production and effort from the rest of the roster to come out with a victory.

The New York Knicks' homestand and their deeper and healthier roster will likely get them past the weary Philadelphia 76ers.