Out of the shadows: Barlow could be Sixers’ surprise spark in 'must win' Game 3

CAMDEN, N.J. -- The way people avoid calling games must-wins when it comes to playoff series, no matter the sport, is almost comical. So good on Dominick Barlow at the Sixers shootaround on Friday morning for labeling Game 3 for the Sixers as just that after losing the first two games up in Madison Square Garden.

Barlow, who came off the bench for 16 productive minutes after Andre Drummond and Adem Bona incurred foul trouble, said: "We're understanding that this is a must win game. Just try to get a win."

Refreshing. And that is what the Sixers have to do. Joel Embiid's status for the game remained questionable throughout the day on the NBA Injury Report, as he missed Game 2 with a sprained right ankle and soreness in his right hip. For the Knicks, Josh Hart was upgraded to probable with a left thumb sprain and OG Anunoby, who strained his right hamstring with about three minutes to go on Wednesday, remained questionable.

The player to watch for the Sixers will be guard Tyrese Maxey, who admitted after Wednesday's game that he had jammed his right pinky, the same one he did tendon damage to back in March and the one he has been wearing a splint on since. Maxey, who played all but 1:12 of the game, said the injury affected his ball-handling in a game where he had six turnovers.

Once again, the main focus for the Sixers will be their attempt to somewhat contain Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. The guard is averaging 30.5 points in the first two games, but was somewhat contained on Wednesday when he scored 26 points on 9-for-21 shooting. Most of the defensive assignment on Brunson fell to rookie VJ Edgecombe, who did a really good job. He may get some help from an unlikely source in Barlow.

Used sparingly in the postseason, Barlow played well on Wednesday in his versatile role which at times included covering Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and sometimes on Brunson. He did well on both, though Towns can muscle him pretty much at will and Brunson can beat him with his small man abilities. But Barlow played both really smart, keeping Brunson in front of him while using his length to great advantage, and his quicker feet to keep Towns guessing where he was.

Dominick Barlow gave the Sixers a real jolt as a small-ball five in the second half of their Game 2 loss: pic.twitter.com/dObO1f7KDY

— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) May 8, 2026

"I'm just trying to defend," said Barlow, who made all three of his field goal attempts, grabbed a pair of rebounds and blocked two shots in Game 2. "Some positives, some negatives. I don't think I've had a stint in my career that I could say is 100 percent perfect. I don't think I've had a stint in my career where I could say I've done everything wrong. There's positive and negatives to everything. I'm just trying to get better."

Should Embiid be able to go, the Sixers will certainly look to get him in one-on-one situations at the offensive end against Towns. But they can't rely on it as much as they did in Game 1. Too many times Embiid had the ball and four others were standing around. That means players like Brunson didn't have to use much energy at the defensive end. It will be interesting if the Sixers try to get Brunson to guard pick and rolls more often in Game 3. Also, how the finger injury affects Maxey's ball-handling and shooting is key. If he's uncomfortable with either, look for him to be driving to the basket even more.

Since Barlow said it, I will, too. The Sixers have to win this one tonight if they have a chance of getting out of this series.