Ahead of their NBA Playoffs first-round opener, the New York Knicks and their rowdy fan base got a tasty piece of bulletin board material from one of the veteran players on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Heading into the postseason NBA games today both the Knicks and 76ers are getting a day to rest before their highly anticipated Round 1 clash in the 2024 NBA Playoff bracket. While New York entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the East and Philly had to win an NBA Play-In game to lock in a playoff spot, both teams are viewed as elites in the conference.
It is a matchup that features a pair of MVP-level players — Jalen Brunson and Joel Embiid — and two talented, proven head coaches in Nick Nurse and Tom Thibodeau. For many around the league, the series is seen as a pick ’em, and the winner could reach the Conference Finals next month.
In the end, the little things may decide this series, and on Thursday Paul Reed gave Knicks players and the fans that will be rocking inside Madison Square Garden on Saturday some added fuel.
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Paul Reed calls New York Knicks the easier matchup in Round 1 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs
During an appearance on Fan Duel TV’s “Run It Back” podcast, four-year veteran Paul Reed claimed the team was happy to get the Knicks in Round 1 because they were the “easier” matchup, compared to possibly getting the Boston Celtics.
“We ain’t ducking no smoke, but yeah we wanted the Knicks matchup, of course, that’s the easier team,” Reed told co-host Chandler Parsons. “It’s going to be fun. We match up pretty well with them. They’ve got a great guard. We’ve got a great guard. We also got Joel. [The] MVP, like you said he’s one of the most unguardable guys in the league. They’re going to have to send triple teams and he’s going to get everyone else involved.”
If the Philadelphia 76ers had lost their play-in game to Miami on Wednesday they would have had to play the Chicago Bulls for the right to face the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the playoffs. While he may not be wrong, this is sure to fire up New York Knicks players and their loud fanbase for this weekend’s game.