Feb 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) talks with guard Tyrese Maxey (0) after a play against the New York Knicks during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Bill Streicher
Could there have been anything worse for the Sixers than losing to their division rival New York Knicks on Wednesday by 49 points, in front of a home crowd littered with boisterous Knicks fans, in which your star center sat with knee soreness and his two backups provided more questions than answers?
Believe it or not, yes. One of the reasons was in the Xfinity Mobile Arena and was a big part of Philadelphia getting whacked in its last game before the All-Star break, the other reasons were a bit further away. And all of them play a part in “Six Degrees of the Philadelphia 76ers.”
The Knicks throttled the Sixers and seemed like they could do it any way they chose, whether it be drives to the basket, getting out on fastbreaks or hitting long jumpers. Well, they did choose all those ways, but none was more noticeable than the three-point shooting, particularly that of newly-acquired guard Jose Alvarado. All he did was drain eight threes and reach a season-high 26 points to lead the Knicks to the 138-89 win, holding the Sixers to their lowest point total of the season.
While the Sixers were unloading guard Jared McCain at the trade deadline for a late first round pick this year (from Houston) and three second-rounders over the next two seasons, New York was able to corral Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans in return for two second round picks and guard Dalen Terry. The Pels waived Terry shortly after, and the Sixers signed him to a two-way contract.
The bigger story is obviously Alvarado. Forget the scoring blitz he pulled off on Wednesday, his style of play perfectly fits what New York is all about. He is an in-your-face defender who will pick you up as soon as the ball goes through the basket, and he’s just a general pest all over the floor that can score a bit when forgotten about.
So when Sixers fans left that game on Wednesday, many by the middle of the third quarter, most probably went home to watch some NBA highlights as there was nothing memorable about the game they departed. And what they may have seen was the best team in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder, put a trouncing on the host Phoenix Suns… with the help of reserve guards Isaiah Joe and McCain.
Joe, whom the Sixers waived in Oct. of 2022 to help them get below the luxury tax, scored 21 in 18 minutes and hit six of eight three-pointers. In his nearly four seasons with OKC, Joe is averaging just under 10 points while making 41.2 percent of his threes. When the Sixers waived him, they also got rid of Charles Bassey to help the team save about $3.3 million. Bassey is now back with the Sixers, working on his second 10-day contract.
McCain has been a very nice spark off the bench for the 42-13 Thunder. In his three games with them, in about 17 minutes per game, the Duke product has made four of his eight three-pointers. He chipped in 12 points in the win over the Suns.
To add insult, to injury, to all this, during that blowout by the Knicks, Villanova and Great Valley High School product Mikal Bridges collected 22 points, five rebounds and six assists in his 28 minutes of play. No need to remind anyone that he was the 10th pick of the Sixers in the 2018 draft before being traded for Zhaire Smith, who was picked 16th, and a 2021 first round pick from the Miami Heat. The Sixers used that pick as part of the deal to bring in Tobias Harris.
It’s a rabbit hole, sure. But man, was it a bad night for Sixers fans all around.