The struggling Philadelphia 76ers head to Madison Square Garden tonight to face a red-hot New York Knicks team that’s looking more and more like a serious playoff threat.
The Knicks are heavy 10-point favorites, and it’s easy to see why. They’re sitting pretty with a 37-20 record while the Sixers have been in free fall, losing eight straight games.
Philadelphia’s biggest problem? They’re playing without Joel Embiid, and it shows. The team is just 12-26 without their superstar center this season.
The numbers tell a painful story for Philly fans. They’re giving up 113.5 points per game – their worst defensive showing since the 1972-73 season, when they set an NBA record for losses.
Things aren’t looking much better on the road, where the Sixers are a disappointing 10-17.
But the Knicks? They’re thriving at the Garden with a solid 20-10 home record.
New York’s already beaten Philadelphia twice this season – both times on the road. They grabbed a 111-99 win back in November and pulled off a 125-119 overtime victory in January.
The injury bug has bitten both teams. The Sixers are missing several key players, including Kyle Lowry (hip) and Jared McCain (out for season). The Knicks have their own concerns, with Mitchell Robinson out indefinitely and Karl-Anthony Towns questionable with a knee issue.
New York’s been putting up impressive numbers lately, averaging 118.3 points in their last 10 games while shooting a sharp 48.5% from the floor.
The Sixers? They’re barely breaking 108 points per game in their last 10, shooting just 44.7%.
ESPN’s number crunchers give the Knicks an 81.2% chance of winning tonight. But here’s an interesting twist – the Knicks haven’t exactly owned this matchup at home, going just 5-12 in their last 17 games against Philly at the Garden.
Fans can catch all the action at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN or NBC Sports Philadelphia, with free streaming available through Jazz Sports.
 visit the Knicks (37-20) at Madison Square Garden, with New York favored by 10 points in this Eastern Conference matchup.){kind=link}