The New York Knicks have been on a roll lately, but so have the Philadelphia 76ers.
Now these two iconic Eastern Conference franchises are set to battle one another in the opening round of the playoffs.
Speaking on Friday’s “First Take,” diehard Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith predicted his team was going to win the series and he doesn’t think it’ll be all that close.
“I got [the Knicks] in five,” Smith said enthusiastically and repeatedly.
“I GOT [THE KNICKS] IN FIVE!” @stephenasmith’s prediction for Knicks-76ers 👀 pic.twitter.com/42fcfAtG0e
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 19, 2024
For Smith, it all comes down to Joel Embiid.
Smith noted that Embiid is not completely healthy and is still hurting from an injury he suffered months ago.
He is helping his team a lot but he’s not 100%.
However, even if he was, Smith believes the Knicks would still win.
He has faith in the coaching powers of Tom Thibodeau and also loves what he has seen from Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, OG Anunoby, and others on the roster.
For a number of reasons, Smith thinks the Knicks are the real deal and will beat the 76ers in this pivotal opening round.
2023-24 has been terrific for the Knicks and they have again claimed their title as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
With the 76ers still dealing with Embiid’s problems, the Milwaukee Bucks grappling with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury, and the Cleveland Cavaliers being consistently inconsistent, many people think the Knicks have the best chance of taking down the Boston Celtics.
If they are going to do that, it’ll all start this weekend when they kick off the postseason with their series against the Sixers.
Smith thinks his favorite team will beat Philadelphia in just five games.
If they can do that, they will start the playoffs in a strong, promising way.
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Skip Bayless Is Not Confident In 1 NBA West Team In Playoffs