Maxey rescues 76ers to keep season alive
NEW YORK — Tyrese Maxey saved Philadelphia from elimination with seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation, finished with 46 and led the 76ers to a 112-106 overtime victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round series.
The 76ers trailed by six points with 28 seconds remaining in regulation before Maxey pulled out a comeback that evoked memories of Reggie Miller’s eights points in nine seconds for Indiana at Madison Square Garden in 1995.
“Going through my mind right there was just, find a way to survive,” Maxey said.
Maxey converted a fourpoint play with 25 seconds remaining to cut it to two, and after Josh Hart’s free throw, pulled up from 35 feet to tie it at 97 with 8.1 seconds left.
Asked to describe the feeling, Maxey settled on “mandatory.”
“Like, we had to. Our season on the line,” he said.
Joel Embiid finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for the Sixers, who will host Game 6 on Thursday night.
■ Bucks 115. Pacers 92: At Milwaukee, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis each scored 29 points and short-handed Milwaukee kept its season alive by routing Indiana. The Pacers still lead the best-ofseven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis. The Bucks again were playing without injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
■ Cavaliers 104, Magic 103: At Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, and Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner’s layup in the final seconds as Cleveland took a 3-2 series lead. Darius Garland added 23 for the Cavalierss. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero had 39 points.