3 Sixers Takeaways: Knicks Embarrass Philadelphia

Joel Embiid's knee soreness, Paul George's suspension, and a downright embarrassment against the New York Knicks.

The Philadelphia 76ers limped into the NBA All-Star Break in serious need of a reset. Two blowout losses loosened their grip on the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference in a fight to stay out of the play-in tournament.

The Sixers let the second half get away from them in Portland to finish a five-game Western Conference road trip with a disappointing mood. They allowed the mindset of tough scheduling to sink two games, however, by a combined 66-point deficit.

The Knicks and their rabid traveling fans invaded Philadelphia in the final game before the break and crushed the Sixers from the opening tip. Mikal Bridges came out firing to put the Knicks up 16-4 and force Nick Nurse to spend a timeout.

The home team never gave their fans a reason to shut down the visitors’ momentum.

The Knicks dissected a brutal defense with 24 first-half assists that helped them to a 72-42 lead headed to the locker room. They finished 20-44 (45%) from beyond the three-point line while the Sixers hit just six of 32 (19%) attempts.

76ers fans trickled toward the exits throughout the second half with the game out of reach. Knicks fans, meanwhile, cheered as thunderously as you’ll ever hear a visiting crowd in a Philadelphia arena.

Karl-Anthony Towns drove to the basket at will while Embiid sat out his second straight game. Trade deadline acquisition Jose Alvarado buried 8-13 three pointers while Bridges and Jalen Brunson barely needed to break a second-half sweat.

Tyrese Maxey and company have lost six of their last seven games with Embiid out of the lineup with an astonishing -116 point differential. The Sixers lost by 25 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 28, 37 against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 26, 17 against Portland on Feb. 9, and 49 to the Knicks in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Daryl Morey’s roster shuffle to duck the luxury tax at the NBA Trade Deadline opened roster spots for a few new additions. 

The Sixers signed Charles Bassey to a 10-day contract on Jan. 26. He played two games in the G League before signing another 10-day contract after the deadline on Feb. 5.

Bassey played 23 games as a rookie second-rounder with the Sixers in 2021-22. He spent three seasons in the San Antonio Spurs organization and appeared in two games for the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season.

Newcomer MarJon Beauchamp played 20 minutes in the blowout loss to the Trail Blazers to finish the West Coast swing. He’ll aim to steal minutes from Jabari Walker and Trendon Watford. He immediately struggled with a tough assignment in limited minutes against Karl-Anthony Towns running downhill with the red hot Knicks.

Dalen Terry signed a two-way contract with the Sixers on Feb. 10. He's played four seasons for the Chicago Bulls, who chose him with the 18th-overall pick in 2022. Terry has averaged 11 minutes in 34 games this season, numbers consistent with his career averages.

The former Arizona Wildcat adds size to a small backcourt at 6-foot-6. He hasn’t yet joined the team.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. signed a 10-day contract after the trade deadline. The seven-footer played only two minutes against the Trail Blazers and didn't appear against the Knicks. The Sixers are his fourth NBA team in four seasons.

Los Angeles will host the new-look NBA All-Star festivities over Presidents’ Day Weekend. Tyrese Maxey is Philadelphia’s only representative in the Sunday evening round robin. He’ll start for the United States when they take on All-Stars from around the rest of the world for the first time.

He spoke with a tone of humility about the hard work that’s helped him achieve NBA stardom after receiving more votes than any American All-Star.

VJ Edgecombe will play in the NBA Rising Stars mini tournament. Honorary coach Vince Carter picked Edgecombe after the other two teams grabbed star rookies Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel with the top two selections. The three teams will compete against a G League squad.

The days of Mac McClung and a fun sidenote at the NBA Dunk Contest are over, but the Sixers will have another representative at the Saturday festivities. Maxey will compete in the three-point competition at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. He’s the first 76er since Kyle Korver in the event.

While fans justifiably question the competitive drive of NBA All-Star Weekend, Maxey spoke about how his appreciation for the opportunity will motivate him to compete.

Advanced Stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass and ESPN Analytics