Sixers vs. Knicks Round 2 deep dive: numbers, X-Factors, prediction

Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the New York Knicks react during the shooting stars competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Everything in this series will boil down to how the Sixers slow down New York’s star duo on the offensive end. Brunson averaged 26.3 points and shot 37.8% from deep in Round 1 against the Hawks while Towns averaged 18.7 points and 11.3 rebounds, along with 6.0 assists, while shooting 44.4% from deep. Everything the Knicks do hinges on their two-man game as guys like OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and others will play off of them to get their shots. Anunoby hit 56.7% of his 3s in the Hawks series while Bridges shot 35.3% from deep.

Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 24: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

As was the case in the Celtics series, the Sixers will need to rebound the basketball at such a high level. The Knicks were seventh in the league in rebounding at 45.6 per game and sixth in offensive rebounding at 12.7 per game. They averaged 10.5 offensive rebounds per game in the Round 1 series win over the Hawks as guys like Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby, and Hart will all just attack the boards with a reckless abandon in an effort to get New York extra possessions.

The Sixers got destroyed on the boards in their losses to the Celtics in Round 1, but broke at or near even in the wins. They have to at least be even with the Knicks in this department and grab key defensive rebounds. That means more responsibility will be placed on Joel Embiid, Paul George, and the guards really to step in and pick up some much-needed rebounds.

The George factor

Jan 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Paul George was phenomenal in the series win over the Celtics. Full stop. He was terrific in so many different ways and it allowed Philadelphia to rally from the 3-1 deficit to win it. Now, he had his struggles against the Knicks in the regular season. He averaged only 10.3 points while shooting 28.6% from deep in three games against New York, but that was before the 25-game suspension as he has had time to get himself back into shape for a situation such as this one. His ability to defend on the perimeter will prove to be such a big difference against guys like Brunson, who is a smaller guard and has issues against length and size.

On the offensive end, George will, obviously, need to knock down shots. The Sixers will continue to lean on their three stars and George is going to play a big role in this series on that end of the floor as New York features a lot of length of its own on the defensive end.

X-Factor: Bench units

Feb 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) controls the ball in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and center Adem Bona (30) during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Knicks received good production from their second unit in Round 1 as Jordan Clarkson, Robinson, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, and Landry Shamet all stepped in and gave New York something. As the Sixers head into this series, there will be more onus on guys like Quentin Grimes, Justin Edwards, and Andre Drummond to step in and give the Sixers an offensive punch—mainly Grimes. The 5-year wing man had a huge Game 5 against the Celtics, but struggled for the most part in that series. That can’t happen against the Knicks. A big onus, too, will be on Drummond as he will need to battle Robinson in the paint. The 14-year veteran averaged 8.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games against the Knicks in the regular season.

Attack Brunson on the defensive end

Feb 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) talks with guard Tyrese Maxey (0) after a play against the New York Knicks during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Hawks had success in Round 1 when CJ McCollum attacked Brunson off the dribble as he used his size and quickness to create some space within Atlanta’s offense and it led to the Hawks taking a 2-1 series lead before New York finished the job. The Sixers have two scoring machines at the guard spot in Maxey and Edgecombe, who both had success against the Knicks in the regular season.

As this series begins, the Sixers should hunt Brunson and make him the matchup every time down. Unlike in 2024, the Knicks can’t hide Brunson on somebody like Nic Batum or Kyle Lowry. Now, he will have to defend whether it be Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, or Kelly Oubre Jr. This is a big advantage for Philadelphia. Of course, the Sixers will have to slow down Brunson on the other end, too.

Prediction

Jan 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Knicks will present a much different challenge on the floor than the Celtics, but things seem to be aligning correctly for the Sixers right now. Embiid is healthy, George is fitting in nicely, Maxey continues to grow, and Edgecombe is showing that he's one impressive rookie. While New York deserves a lot of credit for what it can do out on the floor, this seems like the perfect opportunity for Philadelphia to slay another dragon and move on to the conference finals. With Embiid on the floor, he figures to disrupt everything the Knicks want to run.

Prediction: Sixers in 6

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers vs. Knicks Round 2 deep dive: numbers, X-Factors, prediction