Sixers-Knicks Game Preview: Tankageddon

The Sixers will play a basketball game tonight. It will be the last game of their 2016-2017 NBA season. It will not be pretty.

But in what’s become an annual Liberty Ballers tradition, here I am to recap the final game.

You might ask: why does BLG do this to himself? The truth is ... there’s something I like about the last game of the season. It’s certainly not about the on-court product itself; that’s usually horrible. Rather, it’s that last day of school kind of feeling: a relief to know it’s all over, and hopefully looking forward to a fun summer ahead.

Let’s face it: this has been a pretty weird season. It was filled with ups and downs. Getting to watch Joel Embiid be awesome was amazing. January was unreal. There were plenty of highlights and lowlights along the way.

But now it’s all over after tonight. And that’s good because I am just so done with this season. I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t watched the Sixers in a week or two. And I’m usually pretty good about watching nearly every game no matter how bad things get. But there’s just been no point. Everyone is hurt. And [insert other excuses].

Let’s just hope everyone stays healthy (an impossible ask for the Sixers) and the Sixers lose tonight. Here’s to the possibility of a better lottery pick.

Actual Game Preview

The Sixers have predictably been playing some bad basketball recently. The team is riding a seven-game losing streaking heading into the season finale. The New York Knickerbockers, meanwhile, have lost three in a row and have a 3-7 record in their last 10 games.

Both teams will be without key players. The Sixers will be missing [nearly everyone]. The Knicks are expected to be without Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. Both teams will also be hoping to lose this game. Shameless tanking at its’ finest.

Lottery Update

Hail to the Lakers for going on a winning streak and clinching the third best lottery odds. Here’s a rooting guide tonight via Shamus:

Knicks (30-51, sixth in the lottery standings) over the Sixers (28-53, tied for fourth)

Magic (28-53, tied for fourth) over the Pistons (37-44)

Mavericks (32-49, ninth) over the Grizzlies (43-38)

Timberwolves (31-50, seventh) over the Rockets (54-27)

Clippers (50-31) over the Kings (32-49, tied for eighth)

An ideal scenario where all over those outcomes happen would leave the Sixers solely fourth in the lottery standings, the Magic in the fifth spot and then the Timberwolves and the Kings tied for seventh.

Here’s hoping for the best.

The Enemy

Posting and Toasting

Prediction

Sixers lose, 99-93.

Game Info

Tip is at 8:00 PM ET. The Sixers are away at MSG. Game thread will be up at 7:30 - join us! Watch the game on CSN Philly.