The Philadelphia 76ers got manhandled in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the New York Knicks to the tune of a 39-point beatdown. But inasmuch as they fumbled the bag to kick the series off while the hosts played splendidly on both ends, this was essentially a scheduled loss for the visitors, which were absolutely wrecked by the nonsensical scheduling.
Adam Silver and league officials have been called out by fans and pundits alike recently for the funky scheduling in these playoffs. Those sentiments only grew stronger when it was revealed that the 76ers, having just finished a seven-game series in the first-round, were already on deck to face the Knicks after a one-day break. That is simply uncalled for, if not utterly unfair.
This tweet sums it up nicely.
I really don’t get the NBA’s scheduling process. The Sixers JUST played on Saturday. The Lakers have been off since Friday and OKC has been off for even longer. Yet the Sixers play tonight and for some reason that game overlaps with Spurs-Wolves? What?
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) May 4, 2026
The 76ers got screwed by the NBA's unfair scheduling decisions
In a league that presents itself as a pro-player association, the fact that the schedule makers had to cudgel the 76ers into such a quick turnaround makes zero sense. It is countereproductive from their edict to protect the players, and it only increases the risk of injury. Joel Embiid, for example, was banged up numerous times in Game 7. He could have used at least an extra day off to settle himself. Instead, he looked iffy in Game 1.
Meanwhile, idle teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio nearly got a week-long break. While that is certainly the reward for winning their respective series early, the more sensible solution would be to have those teams duke it out first after their opponents were revealed, then move along to those matchups that were just recently determined.
This unfair scheduling likewise feels uneconomical. There are only four playoff series remaining, and the fact that the NBA is forcing these games to overlap is as strange as it can get. Adam Silver has slowly sapped the league of the details that make it such an entertaining platform, and now, it almost feels like league officials are only doubling down on what makes sense for them commercially.
Unfortunately, those decisions seem to not take into account what is fair for the teams that are actually still playing and putting out product for the world to see. The 76ers most certainly got the short end of the stick with this nonsense, and the worse part is they cannot do anything about it. The NBA is playing favorites, and they are not even hiding the fact that Philly is not part of the preferred bunch..
Add us as a preferred source on Google