Jeremy Sochan was listed as probable on the Knicks injury report before Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, a sign that New York entered the opener at Madison Square Garden with its rotation mostly intact. Sochan was tagged with left hamstring tightness, while every other player on the Knicks roster was cleared to play.
That report matters because the Knicks have already seen how much Sochan can swing a game in a short stretch. In Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks, he went 4-for-4 from the field, hit 1-of-1 from three and scored 10 points in three minutes. He added 4 points in seven minutes in Game 6, a reminder of how quickly his bench minutes can turn productive.
The injury report was otherwise clean for New York, but the path to Game 1 still came with reminders of how battered the recent series had been. Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart had dealt with physical issues during the Atlanta series, making Sochan’s availability more valuable as the Knicks tried to keep their options open for the next round.
Philadelphia also brought its own injury questions into the opener. Joel Embiid was listed as probable with a right hip contusion, and Tyrese Maxey was available despite a right finger tendon strain and a splint. The Knicks were set to host Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, where the opening tip was less about surprise and more about which team could absorb the wear of the playoffs first.
For the Knicks, the key issue is not whether Sochan can suit up, but whether he can keep giving them the kind of efficient burst that has already shown up twice in the postseason. If he is active, New York has one more usable piece in a series where the margins are thin and every healthy minute matters.
