Sixers in disarray: Joel Embiid guarantees a series victory after crushing Game 2 loss to Knicks

The Philadelphia 76ers continue to discover new and creative ways to torture their fanbase.

A last-second collapse of epic proportions has the Sixers facing an 0-2 series deficit against the New York Knicks. It's too early to write the obituary on this season — two games in the Wells Fargo Center could swing momentum back the other way — but it's time to start getting out the paper and looking for the pen.

Philadelphia led by four with less than a minute to go, but a timely 3-pointer from Jalen Brunson moved the Knicks within two at the 27.0-second mark. From there, all hell broke loose, and the Sixers were unambiguously hosed by the refs — watch closely for Nick Nurse calling several timeouts during the Sixers' botched inbounds play.

But, that's another story for another day.

The game ended with Donte DiVincenzo nailing the go-ahead triple for New York. Philadelphia got a shot up at the buzzer, but it was a hard and dispiriting brick. The series shifts back to the City of Brotherly Love with the beat-up Sixers at a steep disadvantage. It's hard to place much faith in this Philly team given their reputation.

And yet, Joel Embiid remains confident in the outcome. Speaking with reporters postgame, Embiid said it "should be 2-0," and promised a series victory for Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid promises Sixers series win over Knicks despite 0-2 deficit

Look, Embiid is not entirely wrong. The Sixers are the better team. Madison Square Garden is a tough environment and the Knicks have been the beneficiaries of some truly singular luck, be it Josh Hart's outlier shooting or several botched no-calls in the final possession of Game 2, which allowed New York to steal an extra possession in the backcourt and win the game.

The Sixers are the more potent half-court offense. Embiid has been the best player in the series despite his half-broken knee, and Tyrese Maxey has rather comfortably outperformed Jalen Brunson. And yet, the Knicks are up 2-0, and none of that really matters. Philadelphia lost the small effort plays when it mattered most and, for one reason or another, both games swung in New York's direction.

Philadelphia is very much capable of winning this series. If Embiid can stay at his current level of health and Maxey doesn't get more sick, the Sixers should be favorites heading into Game 3. Same for Game 4, ideally. But, the line between success and failure in the playoffs is razor-thin. Just watch the clip above for a stark reminder of that. All it takes is one untimely lull from Philadelphia, one tweak of Embiid's exceedingly fragile knee, and the Knicks' lead becomes insurmountable.

The Sixers are major underdogs right now. There's no other way to frame it. The Sixers should've been up 2-0, sure. But they're not, and now the job is much, much, much tougher because of it.