If the New York Knicks needed any extra motivation for their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Paul Reed has given it to them.

On FanDuel TV's Run It Back, Reed said the Sixers wanted the matchup with the Knicks because they are an "easier team" to play than if they had earned the No. 8 seed and a showdown with the Boston Celtics.

The 76ers overcame a 14-point deficit to earn a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament on Wednesday night. Their victory secured the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Even though Reed's comments are likely to draw the ire of Knicks fans, it's hard not to agree with his point.

The Celtics finished the regular season with the NBA's best record (64-18). They ranked first in offensive rating (123.2) and net rating (plus-11.6), while finishing third in defensive rating (111.6).

By net rating, the 2023-24 Celtics are the fourth-best team in NBA history. The only teams better than them were the 1995-96 and 1996-97 Chicago Bulls and the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors.

The Knicks, by comparison, are a very good team with some question marks. Julius Randle won't play again this season after electing to undergo surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder he suffered on Jan. 27 against the Heat.

OG Anunoby was able to play in the final six games of the regular season after missing 27 of the previous 30 games due to elbow issues. He played well upon returning with 13.0 points on 48.1 percent three-point shooting and 3.0 rebounds per game.

New York needed an overtime win against the Chicago Bulls on the final day of the regular season to earn the No. 2 seed.

The Knicks did win three of four games against the Sixers this season, but Joel Embiid didn't play in three of those matchups.

Granted, Embiid is also a question mark after an ugly performance against the Heat. The reigning NBA MVP finished with 23 points on 6-of-17 shooting and 15 rebounds, though he did score 11 points in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks and 76ers are fairly evenly matched going into this series. This is the first postseason matchup between the two iconic franchises since 1989.

Philadelphia and New York till tipoff their first-round series on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden.