Sixers-Knicks takeaways: Disastrous minutes without Joel Embiid, rebounding woes, and more

NEW YORK — The 76ers need more production when Joel Embiid is on the bench.

Under the circumstances, Nico Batum needs a larger role. And the Sixers must find a way to limit the New York Knicks’ offensive rebounds.

Those three things stood out in Saturday’s 111-104 Game 1 first-round loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Embiid finished with 29 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. The Sixers also outscored the Knicks by 14 points during his 36 minutes, 33 seconds of action. However, the most telling stat was being outscored by 21 points when he was on the bench. It became obvious they would struggle without Embiid when the Sixers opened the second quarter with him on the bench after he played the entire first quarter.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid’s career is more important than these playoffs. The Sixers’ Game 1 loss should show him that.

New York opened the quarter on a 15-6 run to knot the score at 40 before Embiid returned at the 7:11 mark.

“We had another one of those second-quarter starts where we didn’t guard anybody,” said coach Nick Nurse. “We had a hell of a first quarter. Then we come out to start the second quarter and it’s bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. So the second quarter got off to a really bad start.

“How many minutes was he off the floor [for the game]? Eleven? Probably most of that [negative] plus-minus that you’re talking about happened in about four minutes at the start of the second quarter.’”

This wasn’t one of Batum’s best performances.

The reserve forward finished with three points on 1-for-4 shooting — all three-pointers — along with one assist and a block in 25:53. The Sixers were outscored by 20 points when he played. But on a night the Sixers desperately needed shooting, Batum didn’t get enough attempts. It’s easy to argue that he didn’t take advantage of his four shots.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid channels Willis Reed in Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks

It was hard for him to get into rhythm in the third quarter, as he didn’t attempt a shot in 3:57 minutes played. Then he missed two attempts, grabbed a rebound and blocked a shot in 5:14 of action in the fourth.

But with Tobias Harris, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Buddy Hield all struggling to make shots, Batum should receive more minutes as a three-and-D player to create spacing for Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. He scored 20 points while making 6 of 10 three-pointers when given that opportunity in Wednesday’s NBA Play-In Tournament victory over the Miami Heat.

The Knicks led the NBA with 12.7 offensive rebounds per game. But on Saturday, they grabbed 23 offensive rebounds against the step-too-slow Sixers.

“Everybody will say, ‘Well, block out,’” Nurse said. “But I think it’s probably a little more. I’ve just got to come up with a plan for them. We’ve got to look at it. Obviously, we talked about it a lot. It’s a key thing that they do. We didn’t do a very good job of it tonight, right?

“Now I’ve got to go find out why and what all the problems were. I’m sure the list is long. I’m sure there’s a lot of things. It isn’t going to be just, ‘Hey, block out.’ Maybe it is; I may be wrong, but I think there’s probably more than that.”

» READ MORE: Sixers burned by Knicks’ clutch three-point shooting in 111-104 Game 1 loss

Mitchell Robinson led the Knicks with seven offensive rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein and All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson each had five. Josh Hart had four.

“You have got to be physical,” Maxey said of limiting the Knicks’ offensive rebounds. “I mean everybody has to rebound, not just [Embiid], not just Paul Reed. Myself, Kelly, Nico, Tobias, we have to get in there and get the tap outs and the long rebounds. They oppose a threat and it’s difficult. That’s a skill of being able to go in there and offensive rebound.”

The Sixers know Brunson, who had 22 points, is going to shoot the ball. They also realize Hart, Hartenstein, and Mitchell will crash the boards.

“You got to be ready for that,” Maxey said. “Match that physicality and kind of go above and beyond with the physicality, honestly.”