NBA playoff predictions: Who wins Sixers-Knicks, Lakers-Thunder and every second-round series?

The conference semifinal matchups are set. Cavs-Pistons and Sixers-Knicks in the East. Lakers-Thunder and Timberwolves-Spurs in the West. Which teams will advance to the NBA’s final four? And what has been the biggest takeaway of the playoffs so far? Let’s break it down.

Sixers-Knicks: Who wins?

Tom Haberstroh: Knicks in 7. I can’t wait to see the Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns matchup. I think Embiid gets the best of KAT in their minutes. But when projecting the Sixers, I just don’t know how much Embiid we’ll see. The Sixers big man has missed games in four out of the last five playoffs series his team has played, which doesn’t give me much hope that he can go the distance.

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Kelly Iko: Knicks in 7. Something clicked for the Knicks in the first round with Towns serving as a high-functioning offensive hub. Turns out, involving one of the most versatile bigs in basketball works — the Knicks are 13-2 since Feb. 1 when Towns logs a usage rate of at least 25%, according to Cleaning the Glass. The 76ers can go in a few directions with the Towns assignment, but expect them to cycle through Paul George, Kelly Oubre and Embiid. What the Knicks ultimately do to slow down Embiid is, of course, the most critical part of this series. A healthy Embiid is the most dominant player in the East, but New York’s depth and physicality should push them over the top.

Ben Rohrbach: Knicks in 6. The matchups will be fascinating — Embiid overpowering Towns; Towns spacing out Embiid; New York going double big at times; a whole lot of mixing and matching — but the 76ers trusted only six players at the end of their upset series against the Celtics, and one of them was Embiid. Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson may match each other shot for shot, but so much falls on Embiid’s shoulders, and I’m just not sure how long he can carry that load in the playoffs.

Dan Titus: Knicks in 7. Philly’s win over Boston was massive, but Embiid’s health is still up in the air and New York’s depth gives them the advantage. The Embiid-KAT and Brunson-Maxey matchups will be must-see, but the Sixers lack a true interior…

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Author : Yahoo Sports Staff

Publish date : 2026-05-04 04:35:00

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