Contrary to popular opinion, the Philadelphia 76ers still managed to turn in a successful campaign this season. Not a lot of people had this team even making it past the first round, yet against all odds, this group in particular braved through the adversities they faced and even landed in the second round of the playoffs, although they did get swept by the New York Knicks.
People have been trolling them for laying an egg in the semis, but as it turns out, the 76ers simply stumbled upon a team on a mission in the playoffs. The Knicks are now on deck to play in the NBA Finals and face the Spurs, but more importantly, this fact is reflective of the reality which many tend to gloss over –– that Philly simply did not have a lot of chance against a determined bunch like New York.
Since facing a surprising 2-1 deficit in the first round to the Hawks, the Knicks have never looked back. They stringed together 11 consecutive wins, winning three straight over Atlanta, sweeping Philly, and handing Cleveland another 4-0 beatdown en route to their first Finals appearance since 1999. Now, they have a shot at glory. in the biggest stage.
As it turns out, the 76ers simply did not stand a chance against the Knicks
With a +/- of 19.8 through the first three rounds, the Knicks have flat-out dominated in these playoffs. This is probably overdue for them, especially since they have already faced consecutive heartbreaks in the postseason in recent years. Now, their desperation has turned into full-on confidence, which has made them so formidable on both ends.
As such, it would be unfair for people to keep harping that dismissive tune against the 76ers. Getting swept will never be ideal, but Philly was not exactly in equal footing with New York during their semis affair. They were the more beat-up team, and their best player in Joel Embiid was clearly hobbled after such a grueling seven-game series against the Celtics where they had to climb out of a 3-1 hole.
As meager as it may sound, the 76ers do deserve some grace for the way their matchup with the Knicks unfolded. This might resemble an excuse, but the timing was simply not ideal for this team to mount a Cinderella run. For now, it would seem like it is New York (or San Antonio) which will be carrying that narrative until the end.
The 76ers will get their shot, but for now, this year was not for them. Nevertheless, that does not take away from their relative success this season, which reasonable minds cannot honestly deny.
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