Sixers aim to clean up on glass in Game 2 vs. Knicks - ESPN

NEW YORK — When Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum was asked Sunday what stood out about rewatching his team's Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks, his answer was immediate and short.

«Rebound,» Batum said.

While there were many reasons the 76ers could point to for falling short in a game they had chances to win on the road, it was New York's offensive rebounding that stood out.

The Knicks finished Game 1 with a staggering 23 offensive rebounds — including seven by Mitchell Robinson alone — that led to a 26-8 advantage in second-chance points, something that came up repeatedly during Philly's off-day media availability ahead of Game 2 back at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

«In a playoff game, that's way too much,» Batum said, referring to the offensive rebounds and second-chance points. «Win the game. We still had a chance to win the game. That's the worst part it, we still had a chance.

»We've got to control the rebounds, and we knew it. They're maybe the best, no, the best, at that in the whole league. They played great, they play aggressive and they go chase every ball, and they did that last night, so we lost on that."

That Philadelphia struggled in that area in Game 1 wasn't a shock, as it was a potential pivot point entering the series. The Knicks were the league's best offensive rebounding team this season, with both Robinson (tied for first) and Isaiah Hartenstein (seventh) ranking in the top 10 individually in the league. Philadelphia, partially because Embiid missed half the season, ranked 25th in defensive rebounding percentage.

Embiid, meanwhile, has not been as aggressive as he normally is on the boards since returning earlier this month from a two-month layoff after a procedure on the lateral