Getty Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The New York Knicks should have been resting and waiting for their second-round opponent by now instead of preparing for a crucial Game 6 in Philadelphia on Thursday, May 2.
If only the referees did not miss the traveling violation committed by Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey before sinking the four-point play off a Mitchell Robinson foul that fueled the Sixers’ 112-106 miracle comeback win on April 30.
According to the Last 2 Minute Report, Maxey “gathers the ball on his left foot, takes two legal steps, and then moves his right foot again just before he is fouled on his shot.”
These were some *huge* shots from Tyrese Maxey. Sheesh.
The Knicks were up by six points when Maxey sank the 3-pointer and the bonus free throw to cut it to two with 25 seconds left.
“I just tried to get to a spot and raise and shoot,” Maxey told reporters after the Sixers’ riveting comeback win. “Thankfully, he jumped and I didn’t get my feet set right away to shoot it. I was able to just kind of lean in and make a shot.”
The Knicks had another shot at finishing off the Sixers in the regulation. However, Josh Hart could only split his free throws in the next play, setting the stage for Maxey’s heroics.
Maxey hit the game-tying 3-pointer from the halfcourt logo to send the game into overtime moments later. Then Nicolas Batum foiled Jalen Brunson‘s attempt to win it for the Knicks as the time expired in regulation.
In overtime, Brunson scored the first five points but the Sixers responded with a 15-4 run to stay alive.
Dejected Knicks Choose to Move On
Game 5 played out like Game 2 but only this time, the Knicks were at the receiving end of a painful defeat, failing to hold on to a six-point lead inside the final 30 seconds of regulation.
The Knicks took the defeat like a man.
Robinson owned his costly blunder.
“Just take it like a man,” Robinson told reporters. “I [expletive] up. [Expletive], just got to be better next game.”
Mitchell Robinson on Tyrese Maxey’s four-point play late in regulation:
“Just take it like a man. I f–ked up. S–t, just got to be better next game.”
Hart, who played the entire 53 minutes and finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds in the loss, opted not to dwell on his missed free throw that would have sealed the win in regulation and vowed it will never happen again.
“I know what the situation is, and I gotta take it on the chin,” Hart told The Athletic. “It won’t happen again.”
OG Anunoby, who had a huge steal and two transition baskets which gave the Knicks the 6-point cushion late in the regulation could only blame themselves for letting a win slip away from their hands.
“That’s on us,” Anunoby told reporters. “We’ve got to execute better. We’ll be better.”
Bojan Bogdanovic Undergoes Successful Surgery
Bojan Bogdanovic underwent successful surgery on his left foot, multiple outlets reported on May 1.
Bogdanovic was a huge loss for the Knicks, who sorely needs offensive firepower outside Brunson. The veteran forward averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists off the bench in the first three games of the series.
Bogdanovic sustained the injury just moments after he checked in in Game 4 when Batum landed on his left foot during a loose ball scramble.
The Knicks said he will be re-evaluated in three months.