The Philadelphia 76ers appeared to have stolen a win at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
Right back, the Knicks stole it.
In the last minute of the game, the 76ers overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to grab a 101-96 lead. But as the Knicks rallied for a thrilling 104-101 victory and a 2-0 series lead in the opening round of the playoffs, mayhem broke out in the last seconds of the contest.
Knicks win thanks to a furious closing minute.
With thirty-two seconds left, New York held the ball and was behind by five points. After driving past the 76ers defense near the basket, Donte DiVincenzo kicked the ball to Jalen Brunson on the left wing. After dribbling past Tyrese Maxey, Brunson trimmed Philadelphia’s advantage to 101-99 with a 3-pointer.
With 27 seconds remaining in the game, the 76ers had the ball back and a two-point advantage. However, they were unable to put the ball neatly in bounds.
Josh Hart stole Tyrese Maxey’s inbounds pass because he was unable to handle Kyle Lowry’s ball. DiVincenzo missed an open three-point shot from the wing after he kicked the ball out to him. However, he was granted one more chance.
After grabbing the offensive rebound, Isaiah Hartenstein found DiVincenzo for another attempt at a game-winning three. DiVincenzo secured a 102-101 lead this time by finding the bottom of the net instead of the top of the key.
At the last buzzer, the 76ers eventually had a chance to tie the game. However, as the buzzer sounded, Joel Embiid’s 3-point shot rang out, energizing Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks overcame a 10-point first-half deficit and a 9-0 hole to win, spoiling big nights for Maxey (35 points) and Joel Embiid (34 points). With a 2-0 lead, the series is now returning to Philadelphia. The Knicks were perilously close to tying the score at one.
76ers complain about officiating
The 76ers weren’t happy with the way things ended. Following the game, a representative from the team informed reporters that the 76ers planned to lodge a complaint with the NBA regarding the officiating in the first two games of the series.
During the late-game altercation, head coach of the 76ers Nick Nurse accused referees of disobeying a timeout command.
Embiid also voiced his displeasure with the officiating, but he isn’t let down by the Sixers’ two-point series disadvantage.
We’re okay, Embiid remarked. “This series is one that we will win. This is going to be won by us.We are the superior group.
Maxey catches fire after being cleared late
The 76ers had a far stronger start to the evening. Due to a sickness, Maxey was doubtful during the day, while Embiid was limited because of his troublesome surgically repaired knee, which has affected him ever since he returned to the starting lineup at the end of the regular season. It was cleared for both to play prior to tip.
Maxey didn’t appear any more worn out. With three consecutive 3-pointers to start the game, he gave the 76ers a 9-0 advantage.
He had twenty at the half, while Embiid had tallied sixteen points and ten rebounds. The 76ers led by 53 to 49 points at halftime. The Knicks were still behind. By the middle of the third quarter, that would alter.
With four minutes remaining, Brunson made a basket in traffic to give New York their first lead of the game, 68-67, but the Knicks fought back through the third. Bojan Bogdanovic scored his first two baskets of the game early in the fourth quarter, making it 85-78 for New York.
With 7:43 left, the Knicks had increased their lead to 90-82 and appeared to be in complete control. The 76ers weren’t done, though.
Philadelphia went on a 12-4 run, sparked by six points by Maxey, to tie the game at 94. Maxey scored basket after basket, including a 3-pointer with 1:09 left to give the 76ers a 100-94 lead. With 47.1 seconds left, a Lowry free throw increased the lead to five points.
The game’s thrilling final minutes then started to ensure the Knicks’ improbable victory.
Big games were had by both Embiid and Maxey. Maxey ended with nine rebounds, ten assists, and a game-high 35 points. He made 12 of 22 field goals and 5 of 11 three-pointers.
As the game went on, Embiid’s knee was obviously slowing him down, and he occasionally had trouble moving up and down the court. Nevertheless, he ended with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block. It seemed like he was having trouble with his knee because he was unable to grab a rebound following the interval.
The Sixers players received little assistance. On a 10-point, nine-rebound game, Tobias Harris was the only other Philadelphia player in double digits.
In contrast, the Knicks put forth a well-rounded effort, with all five of their starters scoring in double figures. Despite missing 21 of his 29 shots, Brunson led the way with 24 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. With 21 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, Hart recorded a double-double. He made four out of seven 3-pointers.
DiVincenzo scored 19 points after making 4 of 8 3-pointers. Hartenstein finished with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and 14 points.
The 76ers will have to contemplate what might have been when the series moves to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Thursday.
