The Philadelphia 76ers appeared to have stolen a win at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
The Knicks stole it right back.
The 76ers came back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a 101-96 lead in the game’s final minute. But chaos broke out in the game’s final seconds as the Knicks rallied for a wild 104-101 win and 2-0 series lead in the first round of the playoffs.
Frantic final minute secures Knicks win
New York had the ball and trailed by five with 32 seconds remaining. Donte DiVincenzo drove through the 76ers defense to the bucket, then kicked the ball to the left wing to Jalen Brunson. Brunson sidestepped Tyrese Maxey, then drained a 3-pointer to cut Philadelphia’s lead to 101-99.
The 76ers had the ball back with a two-point lead and the game clock at 27 seconds. But they couldn’t get the ball cleanly in bounds.
Tyrese Maxey couldn’t handle Kyle Lowry’s inbounds pass, and Josh Hart stole it from him. He kicked the ball out to DiVincenzo, who missed an open 3-pointer from the wing. But he was given another chance.
Isaiah Hartenstein secured the offensive rebound and found DiVincenzo for another look at a go-ahead 3. This time, DiVincenzo found the bottom of the net from the top of the key to secure a 102-101 lead.
The 76ers eventually had a look to tie the game at the final buzzer. But Joel Embiid’s 3-pointer clanged off the rim as the buzzer sounded, sending Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.
The victory spoiled big nights from Maxey (35 points) and Joel Embiid (34 points) and saw the Knicks rally from a 9-0 hole and 10-point first half deficit. The series now heads back to Philadelphia with New York holding a 2-0 lead. It was dangerously close for the Knicks to being tied at 1-1.
76ers filing grievance over officiating
The final moments didn’t sit well with the 76ers. A team spokesman told reporters after the game that the 76ers intend to file a grievance with the NBA over the officiating across the first two games of the series.
76ers head coach Nick Nurse, meanwhile, accused officials of ignoring a timeout call during the late-game fracas.
“I called timeout,” Nurse told reporters. “The referee looked right at me, ignored me. It went into Tyrese. I called timeout again. Then the melee started.
“I guess I’ve got to run out on the floor or do something to get his attention. I needed a timeout to advance it. Would’ve been good. Couldn’t get it.”
Video of the final moments (seen here or above) caught it all. Nurse made an ambiguous gesture in apparent anticipation of a timeout as Lowry struggled to get the ball inbounds. He then clearly called a timeout after the inbounds pass. But by then, Maxey had lost control of the ball, which was loose.
Embiid also expressed frustration with the officiating, but isn’t deterred by the Sixers’ 2-0 deficit in the series.
“We’re good,” Embiid said. “We’re going to win this series. We’re going to win this. …We’re the better team.”
Maxey catches fire after being cleared late
The night started much better for the 76ers. Maxey was questionable during the day with an illness and Embiid was limited with the ailing surgically repaired knee that’s bothered him since returned to the lineup late in the regular season. Both were cleared to play before tip.
Maxey looked no worse for wear. He opened the game with three unanswered 3-pointers to send the 76ers to a 9-0 lead.
By halftime, he had 20 and Embiid had secured 16 points and 10 rebounds. The 76ers took a 53-49 lead into the break. The Knicks had yet to lead. That would change midway through the third quarter.
The Knicks battled back through the third before Brunson hit a layup in traffic with four minutes left to secure New York’s first lead at 68-67. Early in the fourth, Bojan Bogdanovic hit consecutive 3s — his first two buckets of the game — to give New York an 85-78 advantage.
The Knicks extended their lead to 90-82 and looked firmly in control with 7:43 remaining. But the 76ers weren’t done.
Led by six points from Maxey, Philadelphia mounted a 12-4 run to tie the game at 94. Consecutive buckets by Maxey including a 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining put the 76ers back in control with a 100-94 lead. A Lowry free throw extended the lead to five points with 47.1 seconds remaining.
Then the frantic final moments of the game ensued to secure the unlikely Knicks win.
Maxey and Embiid both had big games. Maxey finished with a game-high 35 points and 10 assists alongside nine rebounds. He shot 12 of 22 from the field and 5 of 11 from 3-point distance.
Embiid was clearly slowed by his knee as the game wore on and struggled at times to get up and down the court. Still, he finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and one block. His knee appeared to bother him in the post as he failed to secure a rebound after halftime.
The Sixers stars didn’t get much help. Tobias Harris was the only other Philadelphia player in double figures on a 10-point, nine-rebound night.
The Knicks, meanwhile, received a balanced effort with all five starters scoring in double figures. Brunson led the way with 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists, despite missing 21 of his 29 shots. Hart double-doubled with 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. He hit 4-of-7 3-point attempts.
DiVincenzo hit 4-of-8 3-pointers en route to 19 points. Hartenstein posted 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Thursday with the 76ers left to wonder what might have been.
