New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction: A Must-Win Game 3 For the Sixers
Updated July 9, 2026
The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers will do battle again in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday. The Knicks took the first two games of this series at home and will try to take a 3-0 lead with a road win here. But the Sixers now have home-court advantage and will try to make the most of it to get back into this series with a win in Knicks vs 76ers Game 3.
The biggest storyline going into Game 3 of this series is the health of Joel Embiid for the Philadelphia 76ers. Embiid was ruled out of Game 2 in New York after the team's shootaround on the afternoon of the game. He is dealing with hip and ankle injuries, and his absence would be a significant blow again here. With that said, the Sixers showed a ton of heart just to stay within striking distance of the Knicks in Game 2 without Embiid and can't be counted out here whether or not Embiid plays.
For New York, this game is a golden opportunity to move to within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals. New York got off to a slow start in Game 2, with foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns limiting him to just 8 minutes in the first half. But the Knicks overcame that and got timely buckets late from Jalen Brunson, a formula they will be happy to lean on in Game 3 as well.
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eNDZ8OsmzA
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It should go without saying that bettors will want to wait for additional information on Joel Embiid's health status before placing any bets on this contest. But the Sixers proved in Game 2 that they can hang tough with the Knicks with or without Embiid on the floor. I lean slightly toward Philadelphia to cover the number as an underdog in Game 3, with an outright win for the Sixers well within the realm of possibility in this must-win game for Nick Nurse's squad.
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