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2026 NBA Playoffs Round 2: Knicks vs. 76ers Game 1 – Statement Making Time

The Knicks unexpectedly got home court in the second round this year, and now get to host the #7 seeded Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers have an excellent top five, but no bench, and Embiid can barely walk, so the Knicks reeeeeeally should kick this team’s ass in five games or less.

Here’s a poll!

Who will win the Knicks/Sixers series?

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Let’s go, Knicks!

282 replies on “2026 NBA Playoffs Round 2: Knicks vs. 76ers Game 1 – Statement Making Time”

Lots of talk to come about The Knicks / Sixers series

#LGKnicks! Knicks in six!

But since Round Two begins in a few hours, let’s take note that Pablo Torre just won a Pulitzer this afternoon for his incredible podcast series demonstrating that the league’s wealthiest owner Steve Ballmer violated the NBA Salary Cap, laundering $28M to Kawhi Leonard for a no show job, via a startup that Ballmer himself funded.

What do people here think? And why hasn’t the League either voided Kawhi’s contract or docked the Clippers some draft picks?

Isn’t it pretty transparent for Adam Silver to say “we are going to wait for the blue ribbon commission to investigate” blah blah blah?

This is my first day in NYC since I left on Jan 1st.

Knicks in 5.

Let’s get retarded.

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Knicks in 5 lfg

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Upon further consideration of the basketball analysis in today’s thread I am updating my prediction:

-Maxey will utterly dominate to the tune of 35+ PPG
-Embiid will alternate between great games and disappearing acts
-George will be a complete disappointment
-Brunson will match Maxey bucket for bucket but gets mercilessly hunted on defense all series long
-OG will return to earth offensively as he expends all his energy defensively
-Bridges will be useless on both ends and will play fewer minutes than Deuce
-Towns continues his Jokic impersonation and emerges as the player he always had the potential to be, swinging the series

Knicks in 7 after the ultimate rock fight. Total point differential less than 5.

8pm tip offs are worse than Pags’ predictions.

Harsh, Hubie! What’s so bad about this one? You even contributed to swaying me towards predicting a win!

I bumped into the Sixers outside of Serendipity 3. They looked a bit thinner, maybe had a little work done. But still attractive, especially now that they dumped the Celtics.

Sixers in sixers.

YES!

I still have peacock from that time in November someone logged in on my TV to make me watch Love Island with her.

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I don’t know bc I didn’t read it.

Oof! Guy spends more time throwing shade than it would have taken to read it

I went Knicks in 5, although I expect that it will be something like the Atlanta series where we blow a game or two down the stretch. Everyone keeps saying “if Embiid is healthy…” but he clearly is not healthy, nor will he probably ever be. He got away with being gimpy against a C’s team with assorted rookies, scrubs, and shrimps in their rotation. I also don’t think Paul George’s knees will age well as this series goes on. By the end of this series it should be clear that we are the much better team.

I just don’t see the 76ers prevailing here. Knicks in 5 games? Maybe. 6 games? Probably. 7 games? If need be. I don’t underrate Philly, but they just aren’t deep enough. As Clarence observed, the deepest teams have gone to the Finals the last few years, so … We’re winning this one.

I’m surprised at how much I don’t mind Melo as an in-studio color guy.

Then again I predicted the Nuggets to go all the way, and they couldn’t even beat a seriously depleted Wolves team, so…whatever.

For as good as Jokic is , the lack of defense between him and Murray is a huge issue. They got a title out of it though.

Isn’t it pretty transparent for Adam Silver to say “we are going to wait for the blue ribbon commission to investigate” blah blah blah?

Ballmer has a lot of money and a lot of juice.

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I forgot how much I hate their coach. I remember hating him but it’s so much more than that

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Pretty sure Mikal first points of series on a dunk was +20000000000000000

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I forgot how much I hate their coach. I remember hating him but it’s so much more than that

Nurse is the absolute worst. There’s no call against the Sixers that he doesn’t have an issue with.

Edgecombe is an awful shooter but apparently he’s Steph Curry when he plays the Knicks.

They’re shutting down the off ball sets we killed Atlanta with

I like KAT’s energy but he needs to rein it in a little. Flailing around out there a lot

I totally agree marechal, that needless double on Embiid lead to a wide open PG 3pter that killed the Knicks momentum.

They didn’t start out with point center KAT. I’m curious if they go to it later.

I forget how much I hate this team/organization and then I remember immediately.

They don’t seem to have the personnel to stop Brunson like the Hawks have. Thank God!

They didn’t start out with point center KAT. I’m curious if they go to it later.

They did. It didn’t work. They were being physical and nobody could break free.

Yeah Huk is gonna definitely get mins this series with all the fouls KAT and Mitch are gonna accumulate.

We were so worried about who was gonna check Maxey, and now Philly has their 4th defender going at Brunson and still getting cooked…

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Yeah just like in 2024 Philly has no chance in hell trying to stop Brunson especially now that he has way more help offensively than he had 2 years ago.

Our biggest obstacle is Embiid’s absurd whistle

It truly is absurd. Who wants to watch basketball for this shit? The only thing he tries to do EVERY FUCKING POSSESSION is to foul bait.

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Sixers have some weapons but I just don’t think they have the horses on offense unless everyone is shooting well from distance

I forgot how fucking annoying it is to watch an Embiid + Nurse team.

Can’t fucking Mitch put a little arc on that shot after how many fucking years??

Not sure how that wasn’t a foul on OG, but e very trip down the lane on the Phillies side there is a call.

Nice to have prime Kawhi on your team for the playoffs

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I am predicting OG to Finals MVP. Won’t happen but that’s how good he’s playing. 🙂

Philly’s offense is shambolic if they’re not shooting free throws they’re putting up terrible shots

@cyber
I have an OG finals mvp bet from midseason at +55000 🙂

Lol how does bench scrub Edwards already have 3 fouls?

Designated Hack-a-Mitcher

Bad news: Just got word that Mother’s Day is at GF’s aunt’s house at 5:00 on Sunday.

Mitigating news: There are enough sports fans in the group that they’ll let us have the TV on.

Watching Embiid will be good practice for when we watch SGA getting non-stop calls in the Finals.

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@cyber
I have an OG finals mvp bet from midseason at +55000 🙂

Wow, i hope you win it. 😉

If we were Philly, there would be 4 separate fouls on that KAT drive

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Not kidding at all, I think this is Mikal’s first multi dunk game as a Knick

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Can’t lose these non-Maxey/non-KAT minutes.

Didn’t like going to Mitch so quickly. KAT was carving them up. Mitch mucks it up.

Mikal with as many dunks in this half as he had all last year’s playoffs. This is an actual stat.

That’s the biggest issue with Maxey’s speed, he can just barrel into dudes in the lane and get fouls every time, because apparently the NBA loves this shit.

We’re better at basketball, but I have to admit they’re very good at bullshit

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Embiid & Maxey a combined 2-10 from the floor but 12/12 FTs. This is a joke.

Again I feel very confident we’ll win the series. The question is who will still be able to play by the end.

I’m at the game checking out Nurse, he literally whines on every possession. He even whines when they get a foul call!

Refs must hate doing his games

Where are the Mikal haters now??

*better be the first to say this, gives the impression that i was on his side at all times. LOL

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Yeah, good minutes from Mikal. Plus he and Alvarado were really good together on D.

OG does a better Paul George than Paul George does Paul George

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Sixers look pedestrian when they’re not playing Joe Mazzulla’s intramural team

They are owning them the way they owned the Hawks (not Game 6, but Games 4-5).

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We love doing the little bump screen on the dribble hand off which is clever because it’s not called as a moving screen but effectively has the same outcome. Could see the nba changing that over the offseason though.

Bridges probably should not be allowed to just shove Embiid in his chest.

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At this point just dont foul them and let them shoot, it has to be more effective.

If Embiid isn’t going to take it to Hukporti, this series is effectively over.

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It’s crazy that Boston didn’t attack Embiid in space and instead kept shooting 3s.

Grimes with a not so triumphant return to msg

Unless he is undercover for us. LOL

I imagine the Sixers’ game plan for Game 2 will be, “Do the complete opposite of everything you did in Game 1.” What an insanely bad game plan by Philly. “Just let Brunson shoot, right?” 😀

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Brunson must feel liberated not having to deal with dirty Dyson Daniels defending him anymore.

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It’s amazing how many players are allegedly better than Jalen Brunson, right up until it’s time to be better than Jalen Brunson

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I take back anything I ever said about it being more logical to trade Brunson for Gianni’s rather than KAT

Not often you can say all 5 starters played superbly.

And Hart is a freaking menace on defense

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ever since the devil wears Prada 2 came out we’ve looked unbeatable

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Brunson is 10 of 14 for 27 points at the half.

How dangerous is Tyrese Maxey again?

Huk rocking a +10 in 3 minutes. Well done big man

He only fouled Embiid once, which I do think fully explains it

I thought this might be the easiest game of the series, but this is ridiculous. They are playing like a well oiled machine.

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Also, a quintessential Josh Hart game so far, 6-6-5 with 3 steals.

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As my best friend pointed out right before the break, the announcers keep trying to excuse Embiid’s play due to the appendix. All I will say is that the same night my appendix ruptured, I recapped the greatest episode of Breaking Bad. (The third-to-last, which starts with Walt and Hank in the desert with Uncle Jack.)

I am therefore better at my job than Joel Embiid is at his.

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Holy shit are we actually just awesome!?

Yeah, no need for a Pagliacci these days. 😀

The shot making was there of course, but the way they surgically attacked Embiid was really amazing.

He can’t keep up defensively. And he needs to play every other day.

Philly just is not offering much resistance on defense. We are destroying them in the paint.

How dangerous is Tyrese Maxey again?

Are you trying to out-Cronin Brian??

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The Sixers will shoot better, the Knicks will shoot worse, but the Knicks can exploit this Philly defense.

Their guards are also in foul trouble, by the way.

I am therefore better at my job than Joel Embiid is at his.

And he is not even close. 😉

They need to keep this gap in the 3rd quarter. I think the Sixers would sit their starters early if that happens.

I get the injuries factor but Philly during the regular season were barely Top 20 in both offense and defensive ratings. Offensively when healthy they’re definitely better than that but not sure defensively they are.

Turnovers don’t matter because apparently we’re some unholy hybrid of the 15-16 warriors and the bad boy pistons

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Again, I don’t understand how basketball genius Joe Mazzulla did not think that attacking Embiid was a good thing.

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Joel Embiid hits two huge free throws to cut the Knicks lead to 28

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The refs are trying their best but we’re running an offense and they’re trying to game the system

Oof, 30 pt game?? Was hoping this series would be fun like their last one. Thank god for peacock.

These guys make us look like a defensive juggernaut

Embiid is insanely bad on defense.

Didn’t George take seven steps on that shot?

I saw that too

Didn’t George take seven steps on that shot?

At least.

Nurse has waved the white flag and is still complaining with the refs. Amazing.

Sixers don’t seem to have any cards to play, they’re so reliant on their top guys. No wonder they fell apart any time one of their guys was out.

These guys make us look like a defensive juggernaut

We *are* a defensive juggernaut

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Challenging an out of bounds call when your down 28 late in the 3rd quarter takes some balls…

The thing is, they DO have cards to play. They’re just too dumb to play them. Edgecomb ran right by Brunson on two successive possessions, then next time down PG decided to take OG one on one. Which did not end well. But they aren’t prepared for how forceful we can be.

They’re running Andre Drummond isos Knicks in 4

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Nurse has waved the white flag and is still complaining with the refs.

I feel for his wife. 😀

Knicks intensity really went down. Come on, the game is not over yet.

That was pretty dirty of Grimes.

Edit: and then Bona hits him on the screen. Get him off the court, Brown.

Edit2: and again. they are clearly going for him.

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First world problem, but don’t want to see Brunson or OG in the 4th. I hate it when our main guys are going up against scrubs with nothing to preserve.

Yeah, we gotta try to start the 4th with our bench. See if they can hold. If they can’t, we can still bring people back in.

It will be up to our bench to keep the starters on the bench for the 4th.

I have this weird feeling Mikal Bridges is going to have a really good two-way game tonight,

Do you guys realize I’ve had like 10 of these already? I’m basically pitching a perfect game in the playoffs.

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Nurse really told Bona to go out there and try to injure someone

It didn’t matter, but Clarkson has been lowkey terrible today. 4 TOs in 13 min.

I’m glad Clarkson has stopped trying to score when the lead isn’t 30pts

What’s the over/under on how many starters Thibs would still have in?

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Nothing is quite as dispiriting as the Game 6 win against the Hawks, but this is almost like that! They just, like, feasted on their souls!

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What’s the over/under on how many starters Thibs would still have in?

4.5? 😀

It’s usually around now that Thibs would sub out with a 30pt lead, 4-5min left… sometimes it was 3min

Our scrubs are so much betters than theirs that this might end up another 45 point win.

For the fourth consecutive game, we have been witnessing a “typhoonish” reincarnation of this roster which we have never seen before. This team is now dominant. It is nowhere near the one that won the mid-season tournament, and nowhere near the one that played well in February. I never knew they could play so well! I was still a bit reserved when they destroyed Atlanta three games in a row and was waiting for more evidence against better teams. Well, it may be debatable whether the 76ers are better than the Hawks, but the fact is that the Knicks tonight literally shredded them. This game became boring by mid-3rd quarter.

It is unknown how long this phase will last, let’s see what adjustments Nick Nurse will make moving forward, but this typhoonish Knicks version is indeed awesome.

Surely the 76ers can play better than this, but man did they look brutal on defense. They were just hoping nobody would notice that Embiid has no foot speed or lateral movement.

If this is all Embiid has, I don’t know how they’re going to be able to defend effectively.

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This team > the January 2024 Knicks

I was thinking about this. Of course, four games in it is too early to draw conclusions about who we are. Same with those nine games in January 2024. But I want this one to last for a month and a half, if you get my drift.

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Surely the 76ers can play better than this, but man did they look brutal on defense. They were just hoping nobody would notice that Embiid has no foot speed or lateral movement.

It was BONKERS. They just couldn’t guard ANYone.

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We played 14 guys and I don’t know that any of them had a bad game. Clarkson turned the ball over a lot but that’s because we were up by 30 and were running a bunch of non-scorers with him. Maybe Mitch?

This team > the January 2024 Knicks

Was literally going to type that after I finished bragging. This shit is wild.

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I’ve said in the past the best I’ve ever watched a Knicks team play during the playoffs was the 1997 Knicks going 6-1 before the Game 5 brawl in Miami that changed everything but that pales in comparison to what this Knicks team has done so far in these playoffs.

They just flashed a stat that said this knicks squad is first in nba history to win 3 playoff games in a row by more than 25 points

Historical win- now the only team to win 3 in a row by 25+ pts. We missed the record of 2 +40 pt wins held by the 86 Celtics

the January 2024 Knicks

the best I’ve ever watched a Knicks team play during the playoffs was the 1997 Knicks going 6-1 before the Game 5 brawl in Miami

Both of these things ended horribly so I’m not going to type what is likely to happen next.

Is this Nick Nurse four dimensional chess? He lets his tired starters get blown out so badly they get lots of rest this game and are both motivated and rested to go into game 2 at MSG?

I think one reason this team has kind of snuck up on us is that it was hard to believe they were really this good defensively. It was easy to chalk up the vastly improved defensive rating to tanking opponents and a soft schedule.

The defense is real though. And defense doesn’t slump.

They’re getting some really solid defense from guys I thought were not capable of playing solid defense.

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We are on an impressive run of ass-kicking, but Philly was kinda ripe for the picking. Still, I think it’s clear that we should win this series convincingly. Embiid seriously can’t move and their bench is caca.

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I’m rewatching the 2Q btw and Brunson & Towns were playing very good defense.

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All the pundits who jumped off the Knicks bandwagon after game 3 vs the Hawks are frantically trying to get back on

Sorry fellas no room (-:

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Philly was gassed but it’s not like it’s getting any better for them, it’s a game every other day until game 6 in this series and their bench just looks completely unplayable.

I’m still weary as I think its reasonable to expect them to shoot better in the next couple of games, but it really feels like the Knicks are just a vastly superior team. Pretty cool feeling.

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it’s a game every other day until game 6 in this series

Only until game 4, Bruno. Then Philly gets 3 months off.

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“It was easy to chalk up the vastly improved defensive rating to tanking opponents and a soft schedule.”

I don’t think you can ever get to 7th in the NBA for the entire season just based on a soft schedule. But it definitely seems like we’ve made a leap.

Our offense also seems to have taken a significant leap, although since we were the #3 offense that is more expected but at the same time it is really clicking in a way that is on another level from the regular season.

Bottom line: these last 4 games we’ve been a two-way juggernaut.

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The idea that we played the end of the bench for an entire quarter and still won by 39 boggles the mind

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Sixers ended up hitting 37% of their 3s.

They just can’t guard the Knicks. At some point, I’m guessing they’ll just completely ignore Josh Hart and plant Embiid in the paint. They can’t keep playing drop.

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It’s still early but I do think you have to give lots of credit to Mike Brown. I, for one, said that we won’t be able to judge him until the playoffs. And up to game 4 vs. the Hawks he wasn’t looking good. But this team looks better than a Thibs-coached team right now. They look fresh and connected on both ends. They are playing better than they did in the regular season. That’s pretty much what you want from a coach.

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We were the #2 defense in the league from January 20 on, and that seems real. Which is crazy to think about.

Mikal remains an enigma but he looked like he ate some turbo pellets or something in this game. Played with all sorts of agency, played quality POA defense when asked, dunked the ball explosively a few times… clearly he CAN still play and his issues are between his ears. He was absolutely dialed in for this one.

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I’ll give it to nbc/peacock, smart of them to grab a piece of the nba…

kind of wanted to watch the spurs/wolves match up tonight…oh well…

may have to think of adding peacock streaming next season…

plus I get all that hot Love Island content to boot…double win…

I’m still weary as I think its reasonable to expect them to shoot better in the next couple of games, but it really feels like the Knicks are just a vastly superior team. Pretty cool feeling.

Thet shot 37% from 3 better than their 82 game average of 34.9%. Their defense was truly abysmal.

kind of wanted to watch the spurs/wolves match up tonight…oh well…

There are plenty of free bootleg sites to watch any sport including EU futbol…..

Even though Cleveland took 7 games to eliminate the shitty Raptors, I think they will beat Detroit in a long, grueling series. They are a much, much better team than the Sixers or Hawks, but not as good, or as well-coached, as the Pacers were last year. Obviously it’s very early but the situation seems favorable for us.

still got another 5 minutes or so of the game to finish…

really enjoy the hunger and hustle huk, tyler and mo play with…I think it helps push the players ahead of them on the roster…

yeah, that was me maybe 10, 15 years ago Bob…

just treat time differently now…feels like there’s less of it to spare…

so many choices on what to do with time…

pretty amazed by this stretch of 4 games…

really looks like everyone out there has a plan and understands their role…

Hukporti lead yge Knicks in rebounds with nine and Towns tied with Hart for the lead in assists with six. I wasn’t expecting that.

Obviously it’s very early but the situation seems favorable for us.

It’s so fucking exciting right now. It’s all there in front of them.

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“really enjoy the hunger and hustle huk, tyler and mo play with…I think it helps push the players ahead of them on the roster…”

When you see a guy like Adem Bona on the floor, it’s pretty clear tha Hukporti’s floor is very good 3rd string C with upside.

Kolek also has a floor of solid emergency PG with upside.

Diawara is a bum with no future in the NBA. (In case any other teams execs are lurking.)

Dadiet is shitty but he’s also only 20 years old.

Given our cap situation and Mitch’s and Deuce’s contract situations, those are good guys to have.

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in the few moments we see him now z-man, it appears as though he’s more decisive…still not physical though…

I like his hair pulled back, makes him look a little older 😊

hopefully this off season he continues to work on his shot and body…

would love to see pacome squeeze someone out of the rotation next season…

plus I get all that hot Love Island content to boot…double win…

Lol

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Fuck the Spurs!

I know they’re great and all but come on, they didn’t even make the playoffs last year. They are going to need to take some lumps.

Wolves playing like they’ve been here before.

Kolek also has a floor of solid emergency PG with upside.

The Rockets could definitely have used him this year after Van Vleet was out for the season.

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I love the Fiesta Out on an aesthetic level, I will brook no criticism of it

Bold move not to call timeout with 7 seconds left… was a Julian Champagnie look from 3 really what they wanted?

The Wolves are just a team that shows up in the playoffs year after year.

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Just getting home. What a game. What an atmosphere. The fans were locked in and so were the players. So many fuck embiid chants. Just energy. I’m very happy. Headed to Philly for game 3. Infiltrating the enemy.

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