Knicks' seven-man rotation flames out against 76ers in Game 5 OT loss
The Knicks blew a three-point lead with 15 seconds left in regulation as Josh Hart split a pair of free throws and Tyrese Maxey tied the game on a triple seven ticks later. After New York scored overtime's first five points, the 76ers responded with a 15-4 run and Philadelphia stunningly took Game 5, 112-106.
Four takeaways from Game 5
1. With Bojan Bogdanovic out and Mitchell Robinson back, Tom Thibodeau tightened his rotation to seven players. Robinson and Miles McBride followed New York's starting five of Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Hart, OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.
While McBride and Robinson definitely had their moments on both ends, it was interesting to see that Precious Achiuwa -- especially after finishing Game 4 so strong -- uninvolved. The Knicks continued to keep Joel Embiid in check, as they did in the fourth quarter of Game 4, but this amounted to more minutes across the board -- most notably, the Brunson-Hart-Anunoby trio.
2. Although Embiid continued to struggle from the field as the Knicks contained Philadelphia's superstar, who scored 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting in 48 minutes, his co-star picked up the slack. Maxey caused problems for New York, attacking early and throughout 52 minutes while dropping a game-high 46 points on 17-of-30 shooting and adding nine assists. Maxey made seven triples on 12 attempts.
Tobias Harris added 19 points on 7-of-1 shooting, including a 3-for-6 clip from deep, in 49 minutes.
3. Brunson and his supporting cast looked better at times, but they were unable to close this one out. While Brunson led the Knicks with 40 points on 15-of-32 shooting and six assists in 51 minutes, missed opportunities -- followed by Maxey's four-point play at the 25.1-second mark of regulation to a scoreless final minute of overtime -- haunted New York late.
4. As the first four games were, Tuesday at MSG came down to a do-or-die finish. Initially, New York responded from a 26-21 third quarter with a final period that included a 10-0 run after going down 77-72 at the 8:58 mark on Maxey's step-back triple.
The Knicks seemed ready to run away with the win in regulation and overtime, but the combination of Maxey's heroics and apparent fatigue kept the window open for the 76ers.
Who's the MVP?
Maxey, who scored Philadelphia's final seven points of regulation before adding five more in overtime. While Brunson produced another 40-point outburst, Maxey one-upped him and kept the series going.
Highlights
What's next
The Knicks head back to Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for Thursday's Game 6 matchup. If necessary, Saturday is open for Game 7 at MSG.
