Sixers vs. Knicks Preview: Streaking in the Big Apple

Don't look now, but the Philadelphia 76ers are riding a season-high winning streak as they enter this evening's matchup against the New York Knicks.

In contrast to the red-hot Sixers, New York has dropped four in a row coming into Tuesday's game. Carmelo Anthony (illness) missed the Knicks' 116-111 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, but is expected to start tonight.

76ers-Knicks isn't any sort of referendum on the Nos. 3 and 4 picks in the 2015 NBA Draft, but some will see it as exactly that. Jahlil Okafor's play has tailed off a bit recently, but the 6-11 center is still averaging 17.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG on the season. Meanwhile, Knicks' rookie Kristaps Porzingis has put up three 20/10 games over his last five contests, and leads all first-year players with 9.3 rebounds per game.

(For the record, in the mythical tale of the tape between the two giants, Porzingis already comes out ahead of Okafor in the nickname department. "6 God" and "3 6 Latvia" are infinitely better than whatever we'll ultimately call Okafor [Big Jah? Oak? Mr. Sandman?])

Months after lamenting the loss of D'Angelo Russell to the Los Angeles Lakers, many are now wondering whether the Sixers should have taken Porzingis with the third overall pick. For what it's worth, word is that Phil Jackson would have selected Okafor over Porzingis if presented with the opportunity.

With all of that out of the way, let's talk about the most important news of the day: THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS WON A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL GAME LAST NIGHT. These are some of the things that happened since the last time we were able to type that sentence:

• The Philadelphia Phillies played an entire terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season AND traded both Cole Hamels and Chase Utley.
• Riley Curry wasn't a thing yet. Neither was Matthew Dellavedova.
• We got a new Dr. Dre album.
• El Chapo escaped.
• Roman Reigns was the WWE champion for 73 seconds.
• Temple University won 10 football games.
• Floyd Mayweather fought twice... and then retired.
• Detroit Lions' head coach Jim Caldwell actually smiled (once).
• Pope Francis came to America. It was lit.
• It's easier for you to visit Cuba now, even if you aren't Beyonce and Jay-Z.
• There have been 14,937 new Crying Jordan memes.
• Joel Embiid has enjoyed 14,937 Shirley Temples.
• "Dabbing" was a thing, but then Frank Beamer did it, so it stopped being a thing.
• American Pharoah was a thing, but he's a horse, and it's 2015, so he stopped being a thing.
• A new movie in the "Rocky" canon came out, and it's not terrible.
• Chip Kelly bought a house, but quickly proved to us why that may have been a mistake.
• Jon Snow died (he might still be alive, though).
• Glenn "died", but he was really just chilling under a dumpster.
• WE GOT A NEW DR. DRE ALBUM.

So... yeah. Last night was a long time coming. Hopefully, the Sixers won't have to wait that long until their next victory.