Amidst the energetic crowd in Philly, Josh Hart paused briefly after receiving the ball from Jalen Brunson, realizing the 76ers weren’t guarding him. With space at the top of the arc, Hart took the shot, explaining, “I was able to get my feet set and just shoot an open uncontested shot.”
His go-ahead 3-pointer with 24.4 seconds remaining sealed the victory for the New York Knicks, who defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 in Game 6, securing their spot in the second round of the playoffs.
Brunson led the Knicks with an impressive 41 points and 12 assists. They are now preparing to face Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals after the Pacers defeated Milwaukee in six games, marking their first advancement to the second round in a decade. Game 1 of their series will take place on Monday night in New York.
This marks the Knicks’ consecutive appearance in the second round for the first time since the postseasons between 1992-2000. Brunson’s performance stands out as he became the first Knick since Bernard King 40 years ago to score 40 points or more in each of the final three games of a series.
He also became the first NBA player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to achieve this feat, closing out the series with remarkable scoring prowess.
In a series filled with close games, Hart made the crucial shot, putting the Knicks ahead 114-111 and igniting chants of “Let’s go Knicks!” in Philly’s arena. Joel Embiid scored but fouled out on the next play. Donte DiVincenzo secured the win with two free throws.
“The fourth quarter was full of big plays,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.
The trio of former Villanova Wildcats, Hart, DiVincenzo, and Jalen Brunson, rescued the Knicks from a first-half slump that nearly forced a Game 7. DiVincenzo scored 23 points in 48 minutes, while Hart contributed 16.
Hart made up for a missed free throw in Game 5, which could have given the Knicks a four-point lead. With a three-point lead, Tyrese Maxey tied the game at 97 with an impressive shot from 35 feet, leading the Sixers to victory.
“I felt responsible for that loss,” admitted Hart. “I had time to dwell on it.”
The 76ers, who trailed by 22 points in the first half before taking a 54-51 lead at halftime, face another offseason pondering their missed opportunities.
Embiid finished with 39 points and 13 rebounds, while Buddy Hield added 20 points. Despite scoring 45 points in Game 5, Maxey had a quiet first half and ended with 17 points.
“This series could have easily gone the other way,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse commented. “But it didn’t.”
Despite the 76ers’ attempts to keep enthusiastic Knicks fans away, the Wells Fargo Center echoed with chants more akin to Madison Square Garden towards the end.
After the game, Knicks supporters gathered near New York’s tunnel, eagerly capturing videos of their team heading to the locker room. “Was it unfriendly?” joked Thibodeau when asked about the atmosphere.
This was a game where it felt tempting to fast forward to the final minute. Remarkably, there have been only five playoff games since the 1996-97 season where a team trailed by five or more in the final 30 seconds of regulation and still won, and two of those occurred in this series.
In Game 2, the Knicks staged a comeback to win 104-101, while in Game 5, the 76ers clawed back for a 112-106 overtime victory. The excitement and tension continued.
As Sixers fans reclaimed their arena, the Knicks burst out to a commanding 33-11 lead, much to the dismay of the home crowd.
It’s worth noting that in the previous season, the 76ers led the series 3-2 against Boston in the East semifinals but lost both Game 6 and Game 7. Similarly, in 2022, they lost Game 6 and the East semis at home to Miami. However, in Game 6, the Sixers displayed some resilience.
With Maxey struggling to make shots, Hield stepped up and almost saved the season. Despite losing his starting position due to a slump towards the end of the season, Hield found his form in Game 6.
After missing all his 3-point attempts in the first three games and not playing in the last two, he hit five 3s in the second quarter, sparking a 34-11 run for the Sixers.
His fifth 3-pointer helped the Sixers take a 54-51 lead into halftime. Maxey extended the lead to 10 points with a 3-pointer in the third quarter, but a couple of missed shots from long range sparked a Knicks comeback.
OG Anunoby tied the game with a 3-pointer for New York to close the third quarter and then gave them an 86-83 lead at the start of the fourth. When the game was tied at 95, Brunson made a step-back 3-pointer, followed by another 3, making it 101-95.
Anunoby’s dunk gave the Knicks an eight-point lead with 2:43 left, seemingly sealing the victory. However, the Sixers made one final push. Unfortunately, like many previous postseasons, it wasn’t enough.
