Imagine being up by 6 points with less than 30 seconds left and on the verge of eliminating your opponent, and then allowing them to come back and for a Game 6. That’s exactly what the Knicks did in Game 5 and now they head into Philadelphia for another chance to close out their series vs the motivated 76ers. Jalen Brunson once again worked his magic with 40 points, but even 3 Knicks players playing 50+ minutes in that game wasn’t enough to get the win. With just 2 bench players used in that game, head coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t doing any favors for his starters who will run out of gas in only a matter of time. New York is now a 3.5 point underdog to win in a building where they’ve lost 12 times in 17 visits.
The story of this postseason has been Tyrese Maxey for Philadelphia. His Game 5 heroics have lifted him in rarified air and now he looks to capitalize on that performance with another one as his Sixers seek new life in this series. Maxey scored the most points when facing elimination as a 76er, surpassing the 44 point record held by none other than Allen Iverson from way back in 2001. However, head coach Nick Nurse will have to come up with a new gameplan for Game 6 as Maxey won’t be able to carry this team alone. Joel Embiid really needs to step up after a mediocre shooting display in Tuesday’s game. He did finish the game with a triple-double, but that was more due to him playing 48 minutes and just his numbers accumulating over time.
