NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia 76ers took the floor for shootaround at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday morning with the intention of preparing to make a statement on opening night. The arena workers were in the process of getting everything ready for what promises to be a special night for the Sixers and the defending champion New York Knicks.
The Sixers will look to the championship experience and know-how this roster has in order to lead the way on a night such as this one. That means a guy like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a winner of two championships in his career, will lend a hand to this young group on what will be an emotionally-charged ring night.
"You just try to focus on one thing at a time," Caldwell-Pope. "It’s going to be a lot of emotions
going on. They’re getting their rings. It’s going to be so much emotion. Their families are going to be here, the atmosphere is going to be crazy, and we’ve just got to come in, for us, and just focus on our team and what we got to do to get the win."
When considering the Knicks have what the Sixers want, one has to wonder if Philadelphia is looking to really put its stamp on things. They will be on the game's big stage of Madison Square Garden. The crowd will be raucous. The opportunity is there for this group to do something special.
"I'm not looking at it that way, but it's always fun competition when you can," Caldwell-Pope laughed. "I've had a few ruined – my nights – before. It's not fun. But for my team, we want to start off great as well. So if it's their ring night, got to take the first loss."
Of course, the Sixers don't have the chemistry and cohesion that the Knicks have. This Knicks team has been through the wringer in terms of ups and downs and have built something substantial that culminated in the franchise's first title since 1973. Now, Philadelphia will be looking to do the same.
KCP knows about a championship journey. He knows the Sixers still have work to do in that area.
"I’ve got a pretty good sense," Caldwell-Pope of the Sixers. "I think we’re all confident in what we can do on this court, what we’ve been putting on in training camp. I think our chemistry is not where it needs to be yet, but it’s getting there. I think it’s going to show tonight and throughout the season."
Tip off is set for 7 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers champion gives advice on how to handle ring night vs. Knicks
