May 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) reacts during the first quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner
NEW YORK -- It's one of the unwritten rules of sports for some reason. But in actuality, sometimes it's just the truth. You can say it should never happen for whatever the reason, but it's a human reality that is felt by everyone, no matter you're race, religion, gender, or even how much money you make for doing what you do.
Professional athletes get tired. Sometimes the toll of their sport is so grinding at times that the body and mind simply can't overcome the mental and physical strain that has been presented.
The Sixers didn't lose to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their best-of-7 second round series simply because they were exhausted from the moment they stepped onto the Madison Square Garden court. But to say it didn't play a huge part in their 137-98 thumping just isn't true.
Coaches won't say it, nor will players. But sometimes breaking down why a game went the way it did has to include the cold, hard reality.
Two days after beating Boston in Game 7, then traveling back to Philly early Sunday morning, only to have to go to New York later that day and then step on the court the next day against a team that hadn't played since Thursday, well, tiredness just isn't an excuse, it's a reality.
Coach Nick Nurse said the obligatory, "can't use that as an excuse," but later seemed to accept the reality.
Joel Embiid got hit in the stomach by Mikal Bridges on a pick and grimaced in pain while grabbing at his midsection. Nurse soon took him out of the game and said, "I didn't take him out for that reason. I took him out because there's no sense getting (more tired) than they were."
There it is. And that's okay. We've all gone to work, no matter our profession, more tired on some days than others. And maybe our work suffered a little bit because of it. It's understandable. It's life. Professional athletes are no different, except for the salary, as many will point out. But tired is tired and fatigue is real. And it certainly was for the Sixers on Monday.
Now, maybe there's a big part of Monday that happened because the Knicks are playing really well right now, particularly Jalen Brunson, who burned the Sixers for 35 points, 27 of them coming in the first half. He may be able to do that against the most well-rested of players. But the Sixers allowing 63 percent shooting by the Knicks, and Tyrese Maxey getting one shot in the first quarter, and the Sixers turning the ball over 19 times, and not being able to get out on shooters and not equaling the Knicks physicality isn't all about scheme. Yes, that will have to be corrected quickly before Wednesday's Game 2, but it will be a bit easier to do with fresher minds and legs.
"Again, you can't make excuses," said Nurse. "You knew it might be difficult but you're never going into the game and saying this is going to happen. You have to see it play out. I really thought it was okay there at the start, but obviously it kind of hit us, I kind of thought, at the end of the first. The six straight mid pick and rolls were just too easy. It wasn't challenged. You've got to challenge one way or the other, at the rim or three. Somebody's got to be running out there to challenge. We couldn't get around them, back in front of them. We left them open for too many wide open threes. We gave up one or two dunks behind us. We have to clean all that stuff up."
No doubt. As much as the Sixers may have been coached to get to the right spot, or to keep Brunson in front of them as much as possible, or to fight through those mid pick and rolls, their bodies seemed to not be able to do what their mind was telling them to do. Maybe New York is playing so good right now that the Sixers won't be able to stop it from doing what it wants during this series. But on Monday, fatigue certainly came into play.
"I won't use that as an excuse, but (it's been) an emotional roller-coaster," said Paul George. "You go from Game 7 and one day off and then you're right back into another matchup. There was some carry over of us trying to get up and get prepared for this next matchup. But, we should have came out and done a better job. I won't use that as an excuse."
There's that line again.
Joel Embiid says the Sixers need to bring back the physicality from the last series against the Knicks in Round 2.
(Via @MrUram) pic.twitter.com/fMnxP5SgzV
"Coming from the series we had and the physicality we displayed, I would like to think that maybe guys were tired," said Embiid. "It's not an excuse, though. On to Game 2, down 1-0, so we focus on the next one. Hopefully we get a good rest so we're ready to go. We've been playing every other day. Just need to get a good rest. Get off our feet, treatment and learning from what we did wrong."
What there will be no excuse for is the Sixers not fighting their way back into this series with effort, scheme and all-around better play. The reality, not the excuse, on Monday was that fatigue played a major role. But that was a reality for one game.
It can't be again in the rest of this series.
