Sixers backup center Paul Reed threw the first verbal stone ahead of their first-round playoff series against the Knicks.
Reed made it clear when asked Thursday whether the Sixers felt urgency to win their play-in game the previous night against the Heat to avoid playing the top-seeded Celtics in the first round.
“Oh man, I feel like we ain’t ducking no smoke, but yeah, we wanted the Knicks matchup, of course. That’s the easier team, I guess,” Reed said during an appearance on the “Run it Back” podcast.
“But it’s gonna be fun. We match up pretty well with them. They got a great guard (Jalen Brunson). We got a great guard (Tyrese Maxey). We also got Joel (Embiid), an MVP… He’s one of the most unstoppable guys in the league right now.”
The 76ers and Heat played Wednesday for the right to face the second-seeded Knicks in the first round, while the loser — Miami sans Jimmy Butler — now has to beat the Bulls to face the top-ranked Celtics.
While Reed’s comments have a logical basis, as the Celtics are a better team than the Knicks and the NBA title favorites, using the word “easier” turns his comments into bulletin-board material.
And the Knicks now have the chance to make Reed and the 76ers eat their words.
The Knicks went 3-1 against Philadelphia this year, but Embiid only played in one of those games, a 128-92 76ers loss on Jan. 5 in Philadelphia.
Julius Randle suited up for the Knicks that night, although he scored just eight points on 1-of-11 shooting.
The teams last met March 10 and 12 at Madison Square Garden, with the 76ers winning the first game and the Knicks winning by 27 in the second.
Reed, who averages 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds, averaged 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in those four games against the Knicks, including one start.
Despite the Knicks being the higher seed, oddsmakers are actually projecting the 76ers as the favorites.
The series opens Saturday night at 6 p.m. at MSG, and the Knicks are small 2.5-point home favorites at FanDuel.
News Summary:
- 76ers’ Paul Reed wanted ‘easier’ Knicks in first round of playoffs
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