Not even a 6 point lead with 25.4 seconds was safe for the New York Knicks in Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers, which resulted in an overtime loss and their second loss of the series.
Empty possessions and poor execution down the stretch opened the door for Tyrese Maxey to lift his team to a win.
OG Anunoby called out his teammates after the loss, citing poor execution and vowing on everyone’s behalf to be better.
“That’s on us,” Anunoby told The Athletic postgame. “We gotta execute better. We’ll be better.”
New York gave up a game-tying three-pointer to Maxey with 8.5 seconds left before Nicolas Batum blocked Jalen Brunson’s game-winning attempt which sent the game to overtime.
They were outscored 15-9 in the five-minute frame, and the 76ers are now down 3-2 headed back to Philadelphia for Game 6.
OG Anunoby finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block in 50 minutes played. But as he told reporters; he can be better, as can his New York Knicks teammates.
They’ll have to be to close this series out on the road in Game 6.
Josh Hart Owns Botched Free Throws
Trust that head coach Tom Thibodeau will implement plenty of free throw attempts in the New York Knicks’ practices ahead of Game 6.
As a team they shot 16-for-24 from the charity stripe, good for a putrid 66.7-percent average.
Josh Hart missed the most notable one though, which had the potential to put New York up four with 15.3 seconds left in regulation.
Maxey hit his tying three-pointer on the next play which served as catalyst for the overtime Knicks’ loss.
Hart owned up to his crucial miss postgame, vowing to not committing the same mistake again.
“I know what the situation is, and I gotta take it on the chin,” Hart told The Athletic. “It won’t happen again.”
Hart can’t be credited entirely for the loss after he had such a great performance outside of his miss at the free throw line.
He finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block, playing the game’s entire 53 minutes from start to finish.
But he’ll be most remembered for one of his two misses at the charity stripe.
As will New York. Still, up 3-2 against the 76ers isn’t the worst position to be in.
The odds are still in the Knicks’ favor.
Knicks’ Playoff Odds Up 3-2
According to Land of Basketball, of the 281 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA playoffs, only 13 have given it up and lost the series.
Land of Basketball says 78 of the winning teams went on to do so in Game 6.
Of the 35 series to go to Game 7, 22 won after originally taking the 3-1 lead.
Game 6 will take place on Philadelphia’s home floor at the Wells Fargo Center, where the 76ers boasted a 25-16 record in the regular season.
New York has shown they can win in the hostile environment with their Game 4 win.
But even with the heartbreaking Game 5 loss, you’d be hard pressed to find a Knicks fan that isn’t cautiously optimistic on the series outlook. History reinforces the fanbase and team’s confidence moving forward.
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OG Anunoby Calls Out Knicks Teammates After Game 5 Loss