Sixers-Knicks: Tyrese Maxey spearheads Game 5 overtime win at the Garden

Tyrese Maxey hit a four point play. And then he hit another three-pointer, tying the game for the Sixers with under a minute to play and ultimately saving the Sixers’ season.

Nick Nurse said, considering the circumstances, the 46-point performance was the best of Maxey’s career.

As it turns out, the reports of the Sixers’ death were greatly exaggerated.

Surely, the reports were only premature — it’s got to end badly sooner or later — but they’re not dead yet.

 Joel Embiid dove for the loose ball. Nick Nurse called timeout. And a crowd at Madison Square Garden that has spent so much of this first-round playoff series in a frenzy quietly began to file for the exits.

Then, Tyrese Maxey stepped to the free-throw line to cap an epic 46-point, nine-assist, season-saving effort.

Tuesday night was the Sixers’ turn for a miracle ending, and Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris delivered for the Sixers when it mattered most.

In a must-win game, Maxey’s clutch three-point shots in the final minutes of regulation and Harris’ two clutch free throws secured a win for the Sixers, sending the series back to Philadelphia for Game 6.

The Sixers came into the third quarter buzzing.

After getting outscored 32-17 in the second quarter, the Sixers retook the lead early and went shot-for-shot with the Knicks to close out the third.

After missing Game 4 due to an injury that followed several controversial interactions with Sixers center Joel Embiid in Game 3, Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson got some measure of revenge, helping the Knicks take a 49-43 lead into intermission of Game 5.

Two plays in particular sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into hysterics.

If you’re surprised by what you saw in the first half of Game 5, you probably didn’t watch Games 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Sixers jump out to a big lead, hit a wall, Knicks slowly battle back, then seize control. Joel Embiid has nothing on the offensive end so far.

The Knicks made a big push in the second quarter, scoring 32 points to take the lead over the Sixers. 

Joel Embiid is still not scoring to his potential, adding five in the second quarter, but the Sixers’ struggle to compete in the minutes with him on the bench. The Knicks outscored the Sixers 11-2 with Embiid off the floor.

The Sixers elected to start the second quarter with Joel Embiid on the bench.

Embiid hadn’t been his usual self in the first quarter, scoring just three points on 1-for-5 shooting. But even still, without Embiid, the Sixers immediately allowed the Knicks to go on an 11-2 run in just over two and a half minutes and tie the game, led by three quick baskets from Jalen Brunson. Embiid came back in the game after a timeout.

The Sixers and Knicks got off to a slow start — it took the Knicks nearly six minutes to score.

Tobias Harris, in what could be his final game as a Sixer, got off to a hot start, shooting 3-for-3 from the field for seven points and a rebound. Tyrese Maxey was also impressive with 11 points while Joel Embiid, hearing it from the Garden crowd every time he touched the ball, was quiet.

In keeping with a theme during the playoffs, a well-known New York Knicks supporter has criticized Sixers’ center Joel Embiid.

On Tuesday ahead of Game 5, former New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley said he doesn’t want to hear about Embiid being hurt.

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will be active for Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Sixers. Robinson missed Game 4 with an ankle injury he suffered during Game 3. Robinson previously injured that ankle in the regular season and missed over four months.

Robinson is one of the NBA’s most prolific rebounders and was effective on the glass prior to his Game 3 injury, securing 13 offensive rebounds and 23 total in the first three games of the series. His return to the lineup adds additional center depth for the Knicks, who relied on Isaiah Hartenstein for much of Game 4.

Just to raise your spirits, Sixers fans, it is exactly 10 years to the day since the last time a Philly team was eliminated from the playoffs at Madison Square Garden.

On April 30, 2014, the Flyers lost to the Rangers, 2-1, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals here. Steve Mason, the Flyers' goaltender, was spectacular, making 31 saves, but it wasn't enough to lift his team to the second round.

Joel Embiid is officially available to play in Tuesday’s Game 5 at the Knicks, after missing shootaround with a migraine headache.

Embiid entered Tuesday listed as questionable to play in the must-win game with left knee injury recovery, as he has been throughout this first-round series. He missed eight weeks during the regular season following a meniscus procedure in early February. The migraine symptoms could stem from the mild case of Bell’s Palsy he is currently managing, which is also affecting the left side of his face.

In Games 1 and 2, Knicks star Jalen Brunson was mostly ineffective. He led the Knicks in scoring in both games but shot 8-for-26 in Game 1 and 8-for-29 in Game 2.

But Brunson broke out for 86 total points in Games 3 and 4, including a Knicks playoff record 47 points in Game 4. So do the Sixers need to change anything defensively to contain him? Not according to Nick Nurse — aside from grabbing a few more defensive boards when he misses shots.

The Sixers have outscored the Knicks by 34 points with superstar Joel Embiid on the court. With him off the court? The Knicks have outscored the Sixers by 38 points.

Of course the Sixers are better with Embiid on the floor than off — he’s the reigning NBA MVP. But the drastic difference is stark in a series this tight, and with Embiid’s health in question.

Knicks forward Bojan Bogdanovic will miss the remainder of the season with a foot injury, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.

Bogdanovic was already suffering from a wrist injury, but planned to play through it, HoopsHype reported ahead of Game 4. But in Game 4, Bogdanovic hurt his foot diving for a loose ball with Nico Batum. According to the Knicks, he will have season-ending surgery on his foot — Shams Charania reported that he'll also have surgery on his wrist — and miss the remainder of the playoffs. In the three games before the injury, Bogdanovic was averaging eight points off the bench.

The 76ers are approaching Game 5 the same way they did heading into their NBA Play-In Tournament victory over the Miami Heat.

“You can’t lose,” Nico Batum said of the Game 5 matchup against the New York Knicks.

Joel Embiid missed Tuesday’s shootaround at The Garden ahead the Sixers’ win-or-go-home Game 5 with a migraine headache, per the team. That could be a lingering symptom of his mild case of Bell’s Palsy that he has been dealing with for about two weeks.

When talking publicly about the condition for the first time, Embiid said that “bad migraines” that began a day or two before the Sixers’ play-in victory over the Miami Heat are what prompted him to seek medical attention.

Tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden could be the final game of the Sixers’ season. The pressure is on, especially in a hostile road environment.

“It’s a high pressure game, for sure,” Nico Batum said at shootaround Tuesday morning. “That’s why you play this game, to play in those games. You’re ready for that. We’ve got a great coach, a great team for that. To play a big game in the Garden, you have to show up tonight.”

The 76ers’ Joel Embiid is listed as questionable with a migraine headache for Tuesday’s Game 5 matchup against the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, teammate Kelly Oubre is listed probable with an illness for the first-round series game at Madison Square Garden.

Both players did not attend Tuesday’s shootaround.

To extend their playoff series, the Sixers need to figure out a way to generate scoring when Joel Embiid’s out of the game.

One option would be to alter the starting lineup. They could start Nico Batum in place of Tobias Harris or Kelly Oubre Jr.

No big surprises here – Sixers star Joel Embiid is once again listed as questionable but expected to play Sunday against the New York Knicks.

Embiid missed the team's morning shootaround Tuesday with a migraine.

The Sixers are back in New York City tonight looking to avoid elimination against the New York Knicks in their first-round NBA playoff series.

The game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia beginning at 7:30 p.m., with Kate Scott and Alaa Abdelnaby on the call.

Here's how things stack up in the Eastern Conference heading into Tuesday:

2024 NBA playoffs schedule