The New York Knicks are bracing for the Philadelphia 76ers‘ scrappy guard De’Anthony Melton’s return in Game 3 while center Mitchell Robinson joined the injury list.
Robinson is questionable to play on Thursday, April 25, in Philadelphia due to left ankle injury management.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau did not mention anything about Robinson’s status during Wednesday’s post-practice presser.
The Knicks center, who missed 50 games in the regular season due to a left ankle sprain, was limited to 18 minutes in Game 2 after playing 30 minutes in Game 1, the most he’s played since returning from his ankle surgery.
Melton (back) and reigning MVP Joel Embiid (left knee) are also both listed as questionable but they are expected to play for the Sixers.
“Today, I went through practice,” Melton told reporters following Wednesday’s practice. “So I’m feeling good. I’m ready for the game tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes.”
De’Anthony Melton Gives 2-Way Boost to Sixers
Melton’s fortifies the Sixers backcourt, who were able to slow down Knicks star Jalen Brunson in the first two games of the series.
Brunson is still leading the Knicks in scoring with 23.0 per game but his shooting dipped to a playoff career-worst 29.1%.
Melton comes in as another pesky backcourt defender and a scoring punch for a Sixers offense that needs additional firepower outside of Most Improved Player of the Year Tyrese Maxey and Embiid.
Before his injury that limited him to only 38 games this season, Melton was tied for fifth in deflections, averaging 3.1 per game, and tied for third in steals with 1.6 per game.
The 6-foot-3 Melton also averaged 11.1 points in the regular season.
Tom Thibodeau Dismisses L2M Report and Sixers’ Complaints
Thibodeau had nothing to say about the NBA Last 2 Minute Report, which revealed they fouled Maxey twice and Sixers coach Nick Nurse’ timeout calls during the wild ending to Game 2 were ignored.
“No, I’m more concerned with the 46-minute report,” Thibodeau told reporters, which elicited laughter. “No, I mean that. I knew they couldn’t call a foul there. I’m watching the way Jalen [Brunson] is being guarded.”
Brunson’s free throw attempts, however, slightly increased in the playoffs to 7.5 from 6.5 in the regular season. But the Sixers defense forced him to shoot 8 of 26 in Game 1 and 8 of 29 in Game 2.
“For the most part, I’ve been shooting the shots I’ve been shooting — the ones I’ve been making all year,” Brunson told reporters following Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously, I just gotta be better and make the shots. I gave [Sixers] a lot of credit. It is what it is at this point. I just gotta be better.”
The Sixers also filed a grievance with the NBA with a long list of complaints, which included the Knicks sharing private information about the referees about their call tendencies.
Thibodeau responded it is a “public information.” Thibodeau does not want any part on the Sixers’ beef with the officiating.
“I’m locked into Game 3, we don’t get sidetracked with that stuff,” he told reporters.
The Knicks are in a great position to rip the Sixers hearts in Philadelphia with a Game 3 victory as no NBA team has ever recovered from a 0-3 series deficit.
The Sixers have also not won a playoff series where they trailed 0-2.
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