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The New York Knicks suffered a heartbreaking 112-106 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their NBA Playoffs first round series.
Tyrese Maxey saved the 76ers from elimination by scoring seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation, including an incredible Hail Mary 3-pointer to send his team into overtime.
But Maxey’s heroics only were as significant as they were because Knicks guard Josh Hart missed a clutch free throw in the final seconds of regulation. Hart splitting a pair left New York up three points instead four.
Hart acknowledged his critical miss after the game, per Fred Katz of The Athletic:
“Josh Hart on the missed free throw at the end: ‘I know what the situation is, and I gotta take it on the chin. It won’t happen again.’”
Hart finished the game for the Knicks with 18 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
Knicks fail to close, now face Game 6
New York entered Game 5 with confidence after beating the 76ers 97-92 in Game 4 two days prior. They hoped to end Philly’s season on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t to be.
The Knicks didn’t shoot the ball particularly well compared to previous games in the series. New York finished Game 5 with a subpar 27.8 percent accuracy on 3-point attempts. The biggest contributor to their poor shooting night was due to the 76ers’ hounding perimeter defense, led by forward Nic Batum.
Moreover, New York failed to share the ball as well as the 76ers on Tuesday night. The Knicks racked up just 19 assists compared to Philadelphia’s 28. One factor that contributed to their lack of ball movement was their reliance on Jalen Brunson, who ended the night with a team-high 40 points.
Brunson attempted to spoil the 76ers’ late-game comeback with a buzzer-beater, but his shot was rejected, resulting in overtime and the eventual loss.
Brunson did have a massive scoring game but had a costly end of game turnover late in the overtime period. He went up for a 3-point attempt when 76ers forward Batum closed out on him. Brunson looked to adjust and pass the ball to Isaiah Hartenstein, but the Knicks’ big man had just cut to the rim to try and secure the rebound.
All told, the Knicks lost a pivotal Game 5 that they had every chance to win. Yet, they hope to put Philly’s run in the NBA Playoffs to an end in Game 6.
Can Hart and the Knicks rally and snuff out the 76ers season on Thursday night?
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