The Philadelphia 76ers are gearing up for an intense battle against the New York Knicks in Round 1 of the playoffs, and Kelly Oubre Jr. is ready to face off against his opponents. As the No. 7 seed in the East, Philadelphia will need to overcome various challenges to emerge victorious.

Oubre, a key player for the Sixers, has been preparing for this moment since he last played in the playoffs back in 2018 with the Washington Wizards. His contributions have been instrumental in the team's success, and he's looking forward to bringing his skills to the court once again.

As the Sixers prepare to face off against the Knicks, Oubre shared his thoughts on what New York brings to the table. "Coach Thibodeau gets his guys ready to go hard and play with intensity for 48 minutes," he said during a practice session. "They pride themselves on defense, and Jalen Brunson is the head of the snake for them. Being more physical is kind of the takeaway I have from our success against them this year."

Despite dropping three out of four matchups against the Knicks, Philadelphia has been working hard to develop strategies that will help them come out on top. With Nick Nurse at the helm, the team is confident in their ability to counteract the Knicks' physicality.

"The game is based on physicality and you have to be smart too," Oubre added. "So keeping our brains intact while we're being physical and playing football-like basketball. I think it'll be the better team with the highest IQ who can make changes and counter the aggression...at the end of the day, coach Nurse is a wizard when it comes to understanding game plans and getting us ready to play."

When considering the atmosphere they'll be walking into, Oubre knows that Madison Square Garden is no ordinary venue. "The fans are pretty crazy," he laughed. "They have a really good culture of being wild and loving basketball to the root and the core of it. They call it the Mecca of basketball for a reason. The lights are super bright. It's going to be super fun and I look forward to it."

Game 1 of this series tips off on Saturday, and fans can expect an intense battle between two teams that are ready to give it their all.

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