Knicks catch slumping, Joel Emiid-less 76ers at the right time
NY Post
The Knicks are catching Philadelphia at a good time for their NBA equivalent of a doubleheader.
The reeling 76ers have dropped three straight and 15 of their past 21 heading into consecutive games at MSG, including Sunday’s 7 p.m. tipoff on ESPN.
Following Friday’s defeat against the Pelicans — which included a 35-point deficit in the first half — Sixers coach Nick Nurse went off on his team’s “soft approach.”
“You’ve got to play tougher than that. You’ve got to put your nose in there, drive it in the paint, try to get to the foul line, or draw some defense and kick it out to somebody that’s open. So I thought we had a soft mentality on offense,” Nurse said. “We tried to jump shoot our way to a lead early, and you can’t count on that. And then we didn’t execute the defensive schemes. Not a very good combination.”
Their struggles lately coincided with the knee injury to Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP who has no set return date from meniscus surgery and will miss both Garden games.
The status of Tyrese Maxey, who missed the past three games after suffering a concussion, is up in the air for Sunday, but Nurse seemed optimistic about his All-Star’s availability, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
JUPITER, Fla. — A.J. Minter isn’t prepared to declare himself ready for the Opening Day roster, but he took a significant step in that direction on Wednesday.
Patrick Mahomes’ contract continues to provide valuable salary cap relief.
We’ll soon learn how much Falcons owner Arthur Blank values $10 million in cold, hard cash.
TAMPA — Add one more quirk to a Yankees rotation that has become quirky: Without their No. 1 starter, their No. 2 starter likely will not shift ahead in the order.
The Jets were quiet on Day 2 of free agency after adding a new quarterback Monday.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Brett Berard has displayed both a fiery passion and an admirable patience in the last six months of his hockey career, which reached the NHL level for the first time at the end of November.
PORT ST. LUCIE — The baseball calendar says the Mets have about two weeks until Opening Day, but Francisco Lindor’s mind is on another timetable as these dog days of spring training pass.
The man with the best nickname on the team is one of the few Knicks who has made it this far relatively unscathed in the court of public opinion.
For a guy who seemingly is always headed out the door, Darius Slayton has a way of never leaving.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Rangers stood by their defensive structure in the immediate aftermath of their Weekend of Missed Opportunities, in which they had two chances to capture the top wild-card spot in the East and failed to do so in such disappointing fashion.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Luis Torrens helped inject life into the Mets’ season last year but now faces even larger responsibilities with the team.
The Jets are having a Fields Day.
SACRAMENTO — P.J. Tucker understands his reputation as a hard-nosed player who is willing to vocalize displeasure.