Philadelphia 76ers knock off New York Knicks 112-106 as Tyrese Maxey saves the season
The Philadelphia 76ers will live to fight another day after narrowly defeating the New York Knicks in a thrilling 112-106 overtime victory.
Tyrese Maxey led the way for the 76ers with a 46-point explosion and a massive three pointer from just inside the logo to send the game to overtime. He added nine assists and five rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the floor – connecting on 7-of-12 shots from beyond the arc.
TYRESE MAXEY: 46 PTS | 9 ASTS | 5 REBS | 7 3PM
Today represented to “punch back” responses – the first from Kendrick Lamar dropping “Euphoria” in response to Drake, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers beating the Knicks in the Garden to keep their season alive.
First Quarter Notes: Harris and Maxey Kept 76ers Afloat Early
The 76ers shot just 4-14 from the field midway through the first quarter.
The Knicks started the game cold as well, shooting 0-for-8 from the field.
Tobias Harris, who has basically been a non-factor throughout the first four games of the series, scored the 76ers’ first five points of the game and ended the night with 19 points and eight rebounds.
A visibly injured Joel Embiid managed to score just 3 points to go along with 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on 1-of-5 shooting from the flor in the opening quarter.
Despite the Knicks’ transition success, their half court offense struggled. New York shot 38.9% from the field and were 0-5 in their perimeter attempts in the period.
Jalen Brunson shot just 1-4 in the quarter thanks to solid defense from a mixture of Oubre, Harris, and Batum.
Philadelphia 76ers First Quarter
- Sixers 26, Knicks 17.
- Maxey: 11 PTS, 4-8 FG
- Embiid: 3 PTS, 1-5 FG
- Harris: 7 points, 3-3 FG
- Brunson: 2 PTS, 1-4 FG
- Sixers: 10-25 FG
- Knicks: 7-18 FG
Joel Embiid’s struggles weigh 76ers down in second quarter
The 76ers’ minutes without Joel Embiid have been the main storyline in this series, most prominently in Game 4, which as we all witnessed, forced Embiid to play the entire second half in a losing effort. A few minutes into the second quarter it looked like Philadelphia was headed down that dreaded road once again as the Knicks erupted in an 11-2 run.
Without Embiid on the floor, the 76ers lacked an advantage creator to generate looks for teammates, something Tyrese Maxey has struggled to do in these non-Embiid minutes and as a result, Philadelphia’s offense was filled with contested shots.
The Sixers were outscored 20-5 midway through the second and outscored 32-17 in the frame.
Thankfully, Maxey carried the offense through Embiid’s struggles in the first half.
Maxey was utilized in a series of pick-and-rolls where he routinely got downhill against New York’s drop coverage, scoring 15 of the 76ers’ 43 points at halftime.
Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid get in rhythm third quarter
It was clear as day that the 76ers weren’t going to get the best of Joel Embiid tonight. He missed the team’s shoot around this morning as he dealt with a migraine and by the third quarter, he was nowhere near his usual dominant level.
The 76ers started the third quarter on a 10-4 run with Maxey scoring six consecutive points that came from the restricted area off the bounce.Â
Tyrese Maxey saves the 76ers season in fourth quarter
Embiid followed up his 0-for-5 fourth quarter in Game 4 by opening up Game 5 with an 0-for-4 from the floor performance.
New York led 96-90 with under a minute left but thankfully, when the 76ers needed him most, Tyrese Maxey went full sicko-mode, scoring seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation.
Wild Statistic: When down six points in the final 30 seconds of the 4th quarter in the playoffs, teams are 1-141. The only win? The Philadelphia 76ers tonight at Madison Square Garden.Â
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey lead 76ers in overtime
Maxey’s last three of the night got the 76ers on the board in overtime after Jalen Brunson scored the first five points. Maxey ignited a 9-0 run that Embiid capped off with a three-point play with 1:40 remaining to give the 76ers a 106-102 lead.
The Knicks struck back with Jalen Brunson knocking down a three that tied the game at 106 but Kelly Oubre Jr broke the tie with with a bucket and Harris iced the Knicks at MSG with two clutch free throws.
Embiid finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 blocks.
While it wasn’t his NBA Playoff-leading 35 points per game, it was a hard fought battle that deserves the upmost respect from Sixers fans (and radio hosts) leading up to Thursday night’s Game 6.
Mandatory Credit: Copyright 2024 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
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