Knicks will face 76ers in Eastern Conference semifinals beginning on Monday night

Two completely different opponents, two completely different game plans.

That’s what the Knicks’ assistant coaches have had to deal with the past two days as they prepared to play the winner of Saturday night’s Game 7 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. Late Saturday night, they finally got their answer.

The 76ers will be the Knicks’ opponent in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Seventh-seeded Philadelphia came back from 3-1 down to eliminate the Celtics, 109-100, in Game 7 at TD Garden. Boston played without Jayson Tatum, who sat out with knee stiffness.

The Knicks have a storied history against Philadelphia. The most recent playoff chapter occurred two years ago when they beat the 76ers, 4-2, in the first round of the playoffs.

Both teams have changed since then, with the Knicks adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to their starting lineup and the 76ers having two notable additions in Paul George and rookie VJ Edgecombe.

The 76ers present a plethora of challenges for the Knicks. Leading the list is the young, athletic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe. That last name should be familiar to Long Island readers; Edgecombe played for Long Island Lutheran and was Newsday’s Long Island Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024.

Maxey had 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Edgecombe had 23 points for the 76ers, who led by as many as 18 points and captured Games 5 and 7 on the road.

“I’ve played at the Garden,” Edgecombe said in his on-court interview. “I love the Garden.”

The series is shaping up to be a physical one with Knicks big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson versus longtime Knicks villain Joel Embiid, who led the 76ers with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

Embiid, you may remember, received a flagrant foul for pulling on Robinson’s leg in the playoffs two years ago. Robinson has blamed Embiid for reinjuring his ankle and keeping him out of a good chunk of the following season.

Embiid, who debuted in Game 4 after recovering from an appendectomy, is the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series despite missing the first three games. He and Maxey became the third duo to each have 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Game 7.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points and Derrick White had 26, including five three-pointers.

The AP contributed to this story.

By Barbara Barker

barbara.barker@newsday.commeanbarb

Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.