Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Starting Lineups and Depth Charts for Game 1 (April 20)

The Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks will tipoff their 2024 NBA Playoffs first-round series on Saturday at MSG. The Knicks are the favorites to win after claiming a 3-1 season series win but enter the series shorthanded, missing All-Star Julius Randle.

Meanwhile, the 76ers have Joel Embiid back and firing on all cylinders, which makes this an enticing clash to look forward to. That also takes some edge away from the Knicks, who boast homecourt advantage in the series. Embiid has dropped a 30-piece in his last four outings against the Knicks.

The 76ers will also have a challenge defensively against Jalen Brunson, who has only grown comfortable as the primary creator and scorer for the Knicks in Randle's absence.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks injury reports for Apr. 20

Philadelphia 76ers injury report

The Sixers are without De'Anthony Melton and Robert Covington, while Joel Embiid is questionable.

New York Knicks injury report

The Knicks are without Julius Randle.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Starting Lineups and Depth Charts for Apr. 20

Philadelphia 76ers starting lineup and depth chart

The 76ers will start Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre Jr., Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid. Nicolas Batum, Buddy Hield, and Paul Reed could be among the most used players off the bench.

Point guards	Tyrese Maxey	Cameron Payne	Jeff Dowtin Jr.
Shooting guards	Kyle Lowry	Ricky Council IV
Small forwards	Kelly Oubre Jr.	Buddy Hield
Power forwards	Tobias Harris	Nicolas Batum	KJ Martin
Centers	Joel Embiid	Paul Reed	Mo Bamba

New York Knicks starting lineup and depth chart

The Knicks will start Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein. Miles McBride, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson could be among the most used players off the bench.

Point guards	Jalen Brunson	Miles McBride	Shake Milton
Shooting guards	Donte DiVincenzo	Alec Burks	DaQuan Jeffries
Small forwards	Josh Hart	Bojan Bogdanovic
Power forwards	OG Anunoby	Precious Achiuwa	Mamadi Diakite
Centers	Isaiah Hartenstein	Mitchell Robinson	Jericho Sims

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Key Matchups

The Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks could produce an epic series that could go to seven games. One of the crucial reasons for that is how well their rosters match up. Both teams have positional size and length, making this an enticing contest. This series and Saturday's Game 1 contest will be decided by several key player matchups.

The first is between Jalen Brunson and Kyle Lowry. Brunson's impact is well-known, and he's the difference maker for the Knicks. Lowry's defense on Brunson will be pivotal for the Sixers to gain an advantage and steal a game on the road. Kelly Oubre Jr. could also share the load, as his size advantage could be significant.

Another key matchup features Joel Embiid against the Knicks' bigs. Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson are both solid defensively against their counterparts, but Embiid poses a different challenge with his scoring and playmaking. If they derail his rhythm, the Knicks will gain a significant advantage.

Tyrese Maxey is another All-Star that needs to be prevented by the Knicks to maintain their status as favorites. OG Anunoby could be tasked with the assignment to limit Maxey's impact, while Miles McBride could also share that load.