76ers vs. Knicks Game 5 breakdown: Tyrese Maxey's miracle saves season

01/05/2024 03:56

The Philadelphia 76ers traveled back to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks in Game 5. With their backs against the wall, the Sixers took the Knicks into overtime through a miraculous sequence from Tyrese Maxey and won in OT by a score of 112-106.

Let's break down a wild Game 5.

76ers player notes:

Joel Embiid: 19 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 blocks, 7-19 FG shooting

In front of a New York crowd praying hard on his downfall, Embiid gave them plenty to be happy about. He had a rough stretch in the first quarter that included early foul trouble. The Knicks showed him extra defenders a lot and he made the smart decisions to pass out over and over. But his teammates failed to hit those looks, perhaps seeping into Embiid’s shoddy decision-making on various possessions. He was wildly prone to turnovers but also came through on defense.

Embiid, injuries and all, has been legitimately great in this series. This was his first extremely shaky game (except perhaps Game 1 after he tweaked his knee). Thanks to his own clutch plays and a standout performance from The Franchise, The Process lives to fight another day.

Tyrese Maxey: 46 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 17-30 FG shooting

An 11-point first quarter gave the Sixers a massive boost to begin the game. He was getting his way and scoring nicely from floater range by blowing past slower-footed defenders. His knack for making tough shots proved to be huge. Without it, there was no chance that Philly would have hung in. The masterstroke that was his seven points in the final minute will go down as an all-time playoff moment.

If there's one thing Maxey has taught us all, it’s that limits on what he is capable of are nothing but paper he can shred at any given moment.

Tobias Harris: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 7-11 FG shooting

What a time for Harris to be the one to step up. He scored with fantastic efficiency and put in the effort on defense — though he still wasn't a lockdown defender, he at least didn't get blown by all game — and the glass.

Knicks player notes:

Jalen Brunson: 40 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 15-32 FG shooting

Brunson had figured out the Sixers’ defense (for the most part) and proved once again to be too much to handle. His quickness and 0-to-100 changing of his pace were bound to let him cook at some point in this series.

Game recap:

The 76ers had no more room for error after failing to defend homecourt in Game 4. All the times they looked like the better team and failed to finish well-executed plays had to be things of the past in order to stay alive. Being down 3-1 overshadows how closely fought this series has been but also exemplifies how the Knicks have consistently been better at closing out games than the Sixers. If Game 5 followed the trend, Philly’s season would be over.

Embiid remained listed as questionable despite adding a migraine to his list of injuries but still played. Mitchell Robinson returned after missing the last game. Bojan Bogdanovic requires season-ending wrist and foot injuries and joined Julius Randle and Robert Covington on the inactive list.

1st half

Chants of "F**k Embiid!" rained down before the ball was even tipped off. The big man was booed each time he touched the ball — which, shocker, was a lot. The Knicks started Josh Hart on Maxey with OG Anunoby on Tobias Harris. Kelly Oubre Jr. started the game on Brunson once again. Harris got off to a nice start, scoring the first five points of the game and recording an offensive board and a block early on. New York missed its first eight shots of the night.

The Knicks kept double-teaming Embiid, which led to a lot of good opportunities that Philly didn't cash in on. The Sixers held it down on defense, communicating and sticking with Brunson as he dashed through his maze of screens. But, as has been the case all series, other New York players stepped up to narrow the deficit. A few jumpers and fast breaks got the home team back in it while Embiid played one of his worst stretches of the series, looking mostly incapable of finding his own shot and playing poor defense.

Cam Payne was again an early sub for the Sixers. Embiid was subbed out later in the first quarter due to picking up two fouls (though he didn't sub out right away). Philly managed not to crumble without him in the game, staying stout on defense and coming up with points to actually add to the lead at the end of the first quarter.

Things changed in the second quarter as the Knicks had Brunson get into on-ball action more quickly to cook up some buckets against the Sixers defense. Philly was outscored by five in as many minutes when Embiid hit the bench, tying the game by the time he checked back in. Robinson blocking Embiid’s jumper and Miles McBride drilling a triple gave the Knicks the lead. More McBride buckets put the Knicks up more and more as the Sixers offense went ice-cold. Embiid kept making passes out of the double and no one could come through.

Harris broke a cold spell lasting over four minutes before the Knicks got another jolt of energy with Hart alley-ooping Robinson with a midair pass and a one-handed slam. Embiid committed a charge and missed a short push shot, falling from grace on what has otherwise been a great series for him. Philly’s offense lacked structure and fluidity while Brunson kept hitting his shots.

The Sixers strung together some positive plays – an emphatic Embiid block on Isaiah Hartenstein where he showed more mobility than he had all game, a Maxey layup, a Nico Batum triple — before the half ended, keeping the deficit manageable. But it felt like Game 7 of last year's second round where the score was way better than how it looked on the floor. Philly had to come out swinging in the second half.

At halftime, the 76ers trailed 49-43.

2nd half

The first points of the half went to the 76ers as Harris continued his strong game with a steal-and-score. Maxey ran around Embiid’s chase-action screens, freeing him up for a layup and a jumper. The big man looked comfortable reading the floor when there were actually motions to read and players to pass to. The Sixers went back ahead off of another Maxey layup.

Embiid was still a step below his usual mobility but was able to get his own points in a much more aggressive fashion, too. He and Maxey used each other’s scoring gravity brilliantly, using more off-ball movement to free Maxey up — not a tough task for the fastest man in the building — while Embiid looked for his own chances in one-on-one moments. A few bad Embiid passes killed their chances of going on a run, though. So did the Knicks once again feasting on second-chance looks. They started to come alive from deep as a collective.

Payne again made an impact off the bench as the Sixers kept finding good looks against the Knicks defense. Harris pitched in some more key plays — namely a corner triple set up by a Batum flare screen and an offensive rebound — as Philly looked to finish the third quarter strong. New York led 70-69 after the first three quarters.

Embiid did not sit to start the fourth quarter, looking again like he would play the rest of the way. Five straight points from the Sixers forced a Knicks timeout 41 seconds into the period. The Rage Timeout had them playing sharper, as the defense in the paint and the help-and-recover from the wings took a big step up. More fast-break hunting from Hart put the Sixers in a tougher spot even when he didn't end up shooting.

Maxey was really on fire, dancing around defenders for buckets. But Embiid caught a nasty case of the turnover bug, committing three in the fourth quarter, the last of which gave McBride a fast-break bucket. That forced Nurse’s hand to give him a breather, going to Batum at the five. It was a bit too late but clearly the right call with how sloppily Embiid was playing.

The Knicks scored twice in the minute and change that Embiid sat. A heavily contested middie from Harris and a deep three from Maxey miraculously kept the Sixers in it. Embiid also salvaged near-turnover by tipping it to Maxey, who turned it into an assist to Oubre down low. Knicks by three with three minutes left.

Embiid put home a second-chance push shot as the two-minute warning hit. He lost the ball on a following post-up, allowing Anunoby to slam home a breakaway dunk. An and-one from Maxey mitigated the damage as the Sixers had to ride a very shaky performance from their best player down the home stretch. Maxey losing his rhythm as a free-throw shooter didn't help, nor did another turnover to Anunoby.

With under 30 seconds left, Brunson hit McBride wide open in the midrange and the Sixers Killer drilled it. Out of a timeout, Maxey grifted a foul on a triple from Robinson and actually hit the free throw. Hart went to the foul line and missed the first one. Maxey pulled up from deep and drained it, tying the game up at 97. Onto overtime.

TYRESE MAXEY FROM THE LOGO TO SEND IT TO OT

He's got 41 points in Game 5!pic.twitter.com/19amrB9MtA

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 1, 2024

Overtime

Brunson got the extra period started with a pull-up triple and a layup right by Embiid, giving the Knicks an instant five-point lead. Maxey retaliated with his own triple and looked to set up Embiid for an open shot. He passed it up but drew a foul and…missed the first shot.

The 76ers came up with massive takeaways on defense that led to go-ahead points. Embiid managed a steal and block on Brunson plus an and-one that swung Philly ahead by four. But he also committed a Flagrant 1 by inadvertently hitting Brunson in the head as he went for another block. A free throw and another Brunson triple tied the game up.

Oubre somehow got a layup in traffic to go, a bucket followed by a sloppy turnover from each team. Harris was sent to the foul line and hit BOTH of his shots! More freebies from Maxey sealed the deal for Philly.

Assorted observations:

• Best uniform matchup of the series. These Knicks alternates are great, especially with their own court to go with it, and the Sixers made a good choice for what to wear opposite of them.

Game 6 is on Thursday back at Wells Fargo Center.

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