The Knicks and Sixers probably didn’t need an NBA Cup game to give this matchup some juice. Philadelphia already spoiled New York’s banner night at Madison Square Garden, sending the defending champs home with a loss. Now, just 10 days later, they’re meeting again — and the Sixers look more than happy to keep being a problem.

Friday’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena and will stream on Prime Video.

A Rematch With Some Baggage

New York swept Philadelphia out of the playoffs in May, finishing the series with a 144-114 win in Philly. That’s a pretty miserable last memory to carry into the offseason. The Sixers answered by adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, then beat the Knicks 106-100 in the season opener. Nobody’s mistaking an October win for getting a playoff series back. Still, it’s something.

Now there’s a separate set of standings to worry about. East Group B includes the Knicks, Sixers, Cavs, Heat, and Pacers. Each team plays four group games, which means Friday makes up a quarter of the whole thing. New York knows what’s waiting at the end: they beat San Antonio in last year’s Cup final, then went on to win the NBA championship, too.

The three group winners in each conference advance, along with one wild card. Head-to-head comes first for group tiebreakers, followed by point differential. Friday’s loser can still recover, but there won’t be as much room to mess around.

Philadelphia comes into this one at 4-1. New York’s 2-3 after dropping their first three but turning things around for the last two. These teams know how to finish a game. Getting through the earlier parts without digging themselves a hole has been a very different story.

Two Guards Who Own the Fourth

Jalen Brunson came to New York’s rescue in Chicago, scoring 38 points as the Knicks came back from down 19. Afterward, he admitted he’d been getting in his own head a little:

I was putting a lot of unnecessary commentary in my head

Six threes and a win should quiet some of that down.

Tyrese Maxey had his own answer in Indiana. He scored 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, helping Philadelphia turn a 13-point deficit into a 114-109 win. The Sixers outscored the Pacers 39-21 over those final 12 minutes. That’s one hell of an escape, especially with Indiana missing Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac.

Brunson against Maxey is the matchup worth building the night around. Maxey’s averaging 28.4 points, Brunson 25.8. It’s only five games, so let’s not pretend we know how this is going to end. But both guys just reminded everyone how quickly they can take over a fourth quarter.

The more interesting part is what happens when the defense forces them to give it up.

The Big-Man Geometry

Philadelphia’s getting an early look at how James can make Embiid’s life a little easier. He can see over defenders and get the entry pass to Embiid before he has to fight his way into position. Nick Nurse talked about that recently:

If there’s a sliver of a lane there or an angle, he can find that.

That could matter a lot against New York. Send help toward Embiid, and there’s another decision waiting behind him. Stay attached to Maxey and Brown, and you’re asking someone to deal with Embiid without help. The Sixers are still figuring out how all these pieces fit, but you can already see why this group is such a pain to defend.

Karl-Anthony Towns gives the Knicks a way to stretch that problem in the other direction. His shooting can pull Embiid away from the basket and open up room for Brunson to work. Towns is also averaging 13.8 rebounds, so New York needs him to finish those possessions, especially when their smaller lineups are doing the scoring.

Depth Was a Question for Both Teams

Which brings us to the closing group.

Mikal Bridges played just 13 minutes in Chicago and watched the finish from the bench. Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet, and Tyler Kolek combined for 41 points, with Kolek adding nine assists. Mike Brown stuck with the guys who helped spark the comeback. Friday will show whether those offensive answers hold up against Philadelphia’s size and shot-making.

That’s the late-game swing factor for me: who can find a good second option when the obvious one gets taken away?Brunson and Maxey are going to draw plenty of attention. The pass after that — and the players making it — could decide the game.

So who wins? I’m taking Philadelphia again. Home court and all those scoring options give the Sixers a slight edge. Another win would be a good sign that they’re figuring out how to share those tough possessions.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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