This was as close, as hard-fought, as even, as intense a first-round series as you will ever see.
That gritty kind of old-school Eastern Conference series plays right into the hands of Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks All-Star point guard took over in the fourth quarter scoring 14 points, but the 76ers would not go away with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey making plays, until Josh Hart put the Knicks ahead for good with a clutch 3 with 24.4 seconds left.
JOSH HART PUTS THE KNICKS AHEAD 114-111 WITH 24 SECONDS LEFT IN THE 4Q 😱🎯
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
NYK advances to the East Semis with a win on TNT pic.twitter.com/IXRatqtyJy
The Knicks hit their free throws down the stretch and hung on for the dramatic 118-115 win on the road.
The Knicks take the series 4-2 and advance to take on the Indiana Pacers — who closed out the Bucks to win their series on Thursday as well — starting Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson finished with 41 points and became just the fourth player to have four straight 39+ point playoff games in a row (Michael Jordan a couple of times, Knicks legend Bernard King, and Jerry West had six straight back in 1965).
Jalen Brunson wouldn't be denied in the @nyknicks Game 6 win to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals!
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
🗽 41 PTS
🗽 12 AST
🗽 3 3PM
🗽 13-27 FGM
Jalen Brunson is the FIRST KNICK EVER to average 30+ PPG and 8+ APG in a Playoff series 👏#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google… pic.twitter.com/o72091MfRO
Early on it looked like the Knicks would run away with this game, they raced out to a 17-4 lead to open the game that stretched out to a 22-point first-half lead. Then Buddy Hield came in and changed the game around with a red-hot hand, scoring 17 points in the first half alone and by halftime the 76ers had come all the way back and led by four.
The second half was everything we have come to expect from this series—physical, intense, gritty, with some fantastic shot-making by both sides. Embiid was slowed but finished with 39 points and 13 rebounds. However, he fouled out with 11.1 seconds left, sending Donte DiVincenzo to the line to essentially ice the game, and that seemed to signify the end for Philly.
Tyrese Maxey could not recapture his magic from Game 5 and finished with 17 points on 18 shots. Nicolas Tatum had another strong game and finished with 16. Tobias Harris went scoreless at the wrong time.
New York got 23 points from DiVincenzo, 19 from OG Anunoby, and 16 from Hart. Tom Thibodeau only played his bench for 27 minutes total on the night and got five points from them — this was all about the Knicks starting five.
That five, with Brunson leading the way, was enough to get them to the second round.
