Sixers take a bite out of the Big Apple

Things are temporarily calm in SixersLand. The team has won two straight games, receiving positive contributions from stars and role players alike. Nothing could break their stride...except...what’s this...oh no...a road trip.

That’s right, the Sixers have left the friendly Philadelphia city limits to begin a three-game road trip, part of a stretch where seven of nine games are away from home. The first two contests will take place just a little over 90 miles away, against the Nets in Brooklyn Monday afternoon and the Knicks at Madison Square Garden tonight.

It’s no secret how much of a dumpster fire the Knicks franchise is at present. The team is on its second coach this season, if fans yell “Sell the Team” at a game, James Dolan will ban them from the arena, and after years of being terrible, the Knicks still don’t have a surefire young star. To give you an idea of the type of decision-making happening in the Knicks front office, all you have to do is read a headline like, “New York execs prefer not to deal Marcus Morris without getting ‘star-type player’ back.”

And yet, a small part of me is still trepidatious about tonight’s game. The Sixers are only 4-point favorites, after all. You can start with the fact that the Sixers are on the second night of a back-to-back. But, really, any fears start and end with Philadelphia’s inability to win a game on the road, regardless of the opponent. The Sixers have a 7-14 record on the road and have lost six straight games outside the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia having to win a road game, with the Knicks having to win a game period, is like the inverse of an unstoppable force meets immovable object situation.

The Sixers have already won the first two meetings this season, meaning a win would clinch the season series in the event of a tiebreaker and...no, I can’t get through it. It’s the Knicks. If there’s ever a road game to win, it’s this one. I don’t care if it’s a SEGABABA. Get that W.

Who: Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks
When: 7:30 pm ET
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @Liberty_Ballers

Injuries

Philadelphia: Joel Embiid (out - hand)
New York: RJ Barrett (out - ankle); Reggie Bullock (probable - neck); Dennis Smith Jr (out - oblique)