Sixers-Knicks Game 4 takeaways: Joel Embiid touches, MSG south, and Tobias Harris ideas

The 76ers need to do a better job putting Joel Embiid in scoring positions down the stretch.

For the second straight game of the series, it was hard to tell who was playing at home in the Wells Fargo Center. And perhaps the Sixers should consider putting Tobias Harris in the dunker’s position in Game 5 to get him going.

Those three things stood out Sunday in their 97-92 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks at The Center.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse gave 6-foot-7 Knicks power forward OG Anunoby credit for doing a solid job of defending the 7-2, 280-pound Embiid. He also credited Embiid for making the right decision for passing the ball while being double-teamed.

The reigning MVP should never be held to one point and shoot 0-for-5 in the fourth quarter of a key postseason game.

Embiid finished with a team highs of 27 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks while logging 43 minutes, 58 seconds. But he’ll be remembered for being a non-factor while playing the entire fourth quarter.

The Sixers must do a better job of putting him in scoring positions.

» READ MORE: Sixers stand one loss away from elimination after a 97-92 Game 4 defeat to the New York Knicks

While he’s solid in space and can knock down threes, he would have been better off posting up in the high-low game. After sealing smaller defenders, Embiid would have been able to score at the rim at will.

At 6-8 and a solid passer, Nico Batum would have been able to feed the big fella down low. That’s not a knock on guards Tyrese Maxey (6-2) and Kyle Lowry (6-0). It’s just that Batum would have had an easier time seeing over the defense.

Maxey tried to get the ball to Embiid a few times with guys guarding him in the post. With athletic guys like Anunoby and 6-8 center Precious Achiuwa defending, Maxey couldn’t find angles to make the entry pass.

Another problem the Sixers ran into: no one could make shots to loosen the defense on Embiid. He kept making the right play by passing out of the double team. But the Sixers can’t win without him imposing his will.

At times, The Center felt like a satellite campus of MSG. Three hours before the start of Games 3 and 4, Knicks fans tailgated in the parking lot. During game, they loudly chanted “M-V-P … M-V-P … M-V-P” when Jalen Brunson was at the foul line. They also chanted, “Let’s Go Knicks!”

Their chants were so loud the in-game operation workers had to raise the volume of the music to drown them out. After the game, they chanted “[Expletive] Embiid,” “Knicks in five,” and “Go New York, Go New York, Go!” in the concourse. And it didn’t stop there. After the game, Knicks fans placed a jersey on the Wilt Chamberlain statue outside the arena.

“That [expletive] was crazy, definitely the craziest fan base that I’ve ever been a part of,” Achiuwa said. “It definitely brings a lot of energy, especially the fans being able to travel and have such a huge representation. I think that’s very huge for us, and we were able to feed off that energy.”

» READ MORE: The Knicks are better than the Sixers in every way. Oh, and New Yorkers took over the Wells Fargo Center.

Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein, who is from Germany, said it’s probably the closest you’ll get to European fans.

“When we’re at The Garden, it’s always special, no matter if it’s the playoffs or regular season. But to have them on the road, especially in a playoff game, it’s special.”

It wasn’t special for the Sixers. The Center has a reputation as a tough place to pay for opposing teams. The home crowd gets on them. But in Games 3 and 4, Knicks fans made sure they were the ones heard.

“I love our fans,” Embiid said. “I think it’s unfortunate and I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously you got a lot of Knicks fans and they’re down the road and I’ve never seen it, and I’ve been here for 10 years. Yeah, it kind of pisses me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up and I don’t think that should happen. Yeah. It’s not okay.”

The Sixers need to figure out a way to get Harris more involved.

The power forward had 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting to go with eight rebounds. For the series, he’s shooting 15-for-38 while making just 3 of 12 three-pointers. Down 3-1 to the Knicks, the Sixers must find a way to get him involved during Tuesday’s Game 5.

Since his shot isn’t falling, they might want to consider posting him up in the dunker’s position. That wouldn’t affect his ability to play in lineups with Batum, who is usually positioned at the three-point line.