Philadelphia 76ers: 3 matchups to watch on Christmas Day game against the Knicks

The Philadelphia 76ers begin Christmas Day against the New York Knicks at noon on the East Coast. Here are three matchups to keep an eye on during the game.

The Philadelphia 76ers are slumping entering their Christmas Day matchup against the New York Knicks. They currently have a 14-18 record since losing five games in a row. The team has been without first overall pick Markelle Fultz since Oct. 23. Fultz appeared in four games before being sidelined with a mysterious shoulder injury. The Sixers didn’t struggle much without him, but the month of December has been quite a time for them.

The Philadephia 76ers are 2-8 in the month of December, allowing 112.4 points per game through the same span. To make matters worse, big man Joel Embiid missed the past three contests with a sore back. He returned to the lineup in their game against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night, but Philadelphia still fell 102-86.

The Sixers have an opportunity to snap a five-game losing streak on Monday afternoon, but they’ll need to be focused going in. While they rank sixth in the league as a team in points per game (108.6), they allow 109.4 points per game, ranking 25th in the NBA.

Here’s a look at some key matchups to focus as they face the 17-15 Knicks.