Eight days after the Knicks delivered the ultimate back-breaker to the 76ers, Philadelphia returned the favor.
Tyrese Maxey’s stunning late-game heroics to steal Game 5 at Madison Square Garden further elevated an already instant-classic playoff series between the rival Knicks and Sixers, helping his team stave off elimination and force a Game 6 back in Philly.
The Knicks were 8.1 seconds away from advancing to the second round when Maxey’s 34-foot 3-pointer tied the game. The Sixers went on to win in overtime, 112-106, with Maxey scoring 22 of his game-high 46 points in the fourth quarter and OT.
“Find a way to survive,” Maxey said afterward. “Season’s on the line. I trust my work. I trust what I’ve done all my life.”
Maxey’s magic made for an all-time playoff moment, regardless of the preceding circumstances, but the fact the Knicks won Game 2 in similarly improbable fashion made what transpired Tuesday even more mind-boggling.
The 76ers led Game 2 by five points with under 30 seconds remaining, but Jalen Brunson made a 3-pointer that bounced off the rim and through the net; Maxey turned the ball over on the subsequent possession; Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed an offensive rebound after a Donte DiVincenzo missed 3-pointer; and DiVincenzo nailed the game-winner on his next attempt.
On Tuesday, the Knicks led, 96-90, with under 30 seconds to go, but Maxey made a pair of 3-pointers and a free throw in the final 25.1 seconds of regulation.
“I’m a happy guy but I absolutely hate losing, especially in certain times,” Maxey said. “I missed three crucial free throws, then I turned the ball over late. People don’t see me upset a lot, but I was really upset and I just wanted to go out there and make up for it.”
Maxey’s offensive explosion came on a night Joel Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, scored 19 points on an uncharacteristically inefficient 7-of-19 line for Philadelphia, hours after he missed shootaround with migraines. Embiid, who underwent knee surgery in February, was recently diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, a condition that affects facial muscles.
“Considering that our No. 1 option was struggling, for [Maxey] to kind of say, ‘Alright, I’ve got to put this team on my back and go,’ I just kept encouraging him to take his chances, take his shots, make plays, and he certainly did,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.
Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at Wells Fargo Center.
“It went in our favor thanks to Tyrese Maxey,” Embiid said of Tuesday’s stunner. “He was unbelievable.”
