Knicks get last laugh after Paul Reed's comments about Sixers' playoff matchup

It wasn't easy. Each game felt like an eternity. It seemed the series would head back to MSG for Game 7, but the New York Knicks beat the Sixers in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second consecutive year.

The series started hot when Paul Reed said the Sixers wanted the Knicks because they were the "easier team." If Reed and Philadelphia had secured the No. 8 seed, the team would've matched up with Boston in the first round. The Celtics are the better team on paper, but Reed learned something about the Knicks.

New York fans loved it when Joel Embiid left the floor, and Reed came in. He was a complete non-factor, averaging 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 points in the series.

Notice how no Knicks players said they wanted to play the Sixers over the Heat for whatever reason. The only time New York called a player out was when Embiid pulled Mitchell Robinson's legs out from under him in Game 3. What should've been a flagrant two and ejection was nothing more than a flagrant one, but that doesn't matter now.

Paul Reed's shot at Knicks comes back to haunt Sixers with elimination

Speaking of Embiid, after Philadelphia lost Games 1 and 2, the center said the Sixers would come back to win the series.

Reed isn't the only one who looks silly, but at least Embiid gave it his all on a bum knee. His brand of basketball isn't pretty (and can be dirty), but he averaged 33 points and 10.8 rebounds in the series.

Philadelphia failed to advance to the second round for the first time since 2020. Embiid has never played in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York is trying to make it there for the first time since 2000. The Knicks' next test is the Pacers, who beat the Bucks in six games.

Luckily, New York will have three days to rest before Game 1 at MSG on Monday. Maybe a Pacers player will take a shot at the Knicks before then. Indiana, please don't learn from Reed's mistake!