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PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers had been leaving Josh Hart open behind the 3-point line all collection. It’s not that they had been glad to go away any person alone past the arc. However you’ll be able to’t guard every little thing on this league, and that was poison they picked of their first-round collection towards the New York Knicks.
And it was the poison that finally killed the Sixers’ season.
With the sport tied and Philly scrambling to maintain Jalen Brunson contained on the left aspect of the ground, Hart was open on the high of the arc. Tyrese Maxey stunted towards Hart however selected to retreat to Donte DiVincenzo on the suitable wing.
“My first intuition was, in the event that they rotate, make the cross to [DiVincenzo],” Hart mentioned afterward. “Clearly, the sport plan was to not rotate to me.
“I used to be capable of get my toes set and shoot an uncontested, open shot.”
His 3-pointer swished by the online with 24.4 seconds left, giving the Knicks the lead and, finally, a 118-115 victory in Recreation 6 that takes them into an Jap Convention semifinals collection towards the Indiana Pacers that begins Monday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Listed here are some notes, quotes, numbers and movie because the Knicks superior to the convention semis for the second straight yr …
1. The up-15 Knicks are nonetheless undefeated
After scoring a tremendous 33 factors on their first 16 possessions, the Knicks led Recreation 6 by 22. Earlier than Thursday, they had been the league’s solely undefeated group in video games they led by 15 factors or extra.
However that 22-point lead rapidly started to soften away. The Sixers went on an 11-0 run late within the first quarter earlier than Hart ended the Knicks’ drought with a transition 3-pointer. Then Philly, regularly working by Joel Embiid within the publish, outscored New York by 17 factors (32-15) within the second to take a three-point halftime lead.
However the Knicks responded, scoring a tremendous 67 factors on 45 second-half possessions (1.49 per) to win the sport.
So, whereas they blew a 22-point lead, they continue to be undefeated (38-0) when main by at the very least 15 factors.
Greatest information when main by at the very least 15 factors, 2023-24
Staff | W | L | PCT |
---|---|---|---|
New York | 37 | 0 | 1.000 |
Oklahoma Metropolis | 43 | 1 | 0.977 |
L.A. Lakers | 29 | 1 | 0.967 |
Indiana | 36 | 2 | 0.947 |
Utah | 18 | 1 | 0.947 |
Contains common season, Play-In and playoffs
The Sixers, in the meantime, completed the season 0-18 in video games they trailed by at the very least 20. Comebacks are somewhat extra widespread now than they had been 10 years in the past, however they’re nonetheless not straightforward.
2. Knicks win the power battle
They’re particularly not straightforward towards a group that may play with as a lot fourth-quarter power because the Knicks.
With Bojan Bogdanovic struggling a season-ending foot harm in Recreation 4, the Knicks used simply seven gamers within the final two video games of this collection. DiVincenzo was the one who performed all 48 minutes on Thursday, however Hart (who performed all 53 two nights earlier), Brunson and OG Anunoby additionally barely left the ground, all logging at the very least 43 1/2 minutes.
But it was the Knicks who, collectively, once more had essentially the most power down the stretch.
With each defenses stretched out to comprise the opposing level guards, there have been offensive rebounds available. The groups mixed for 9 offensive boards and 17 second-chance factors within the closing interval.
Hart had three of these fourth-quarter offensive boards, ending with six within the sport and 22 for the collection.
The Knicks’ power additionally confirmed up in transition, with their three Villanova guys combining for an enormous fast-break 3-pointer (following one in all Hart’s eight defensive rebounds) halfway by the interval.
The one 76er capable of match the Knicks’ power was Maxey. However New York was somewhat extra aggressive in its pick-and-roll protection on Thursday, doing a greater job of getting the ball out of his palms. After scoring 46 factors in Recreation 5, Maxey had simply 17 (on 6-for-18 taking pictures) in Recreation 6.
The Knicks’ pick-and-roll protection typically left Joel Embiid open on the foul line. However Embiid wasn’t capable of assault the rotating protection. If he did drive, he didn’t do it with a lot burst, seemingly hoping to attract a foul.
This was nonetheless the Sixers’ second best offensive sport of the collection. However the Knicks simply had somewhat extra down the stretch.
3. Brunson wasn’t environment friendly, however he acquired the job finished
By way of Thursday, 13 gamers (three on this collection) have averaged at the very least 25 factors within the playoffs. And among the many 13, Brunson has had the bottom true taking pictures share (52.5%), that means he’s been the least environment friendly of these high-volume scorers.
However there’s little question the Knicks wanted every little thing their level guard may give them. Solely Embiid has a better utilization price in these playoffs than Brunson, who has accounted for 37% of the Knicks’ factors and 43% of their assists whereas on the ground.
The eye paid to Brunson created quite a lot of the Knicks’ photographs, whether or not he assisted on them or not. And he had a few robust buckets of his personal down the stretch in Recreation 6.
Halfway by the fourth, he picked up his dribble with simply seven seconds left on the shot clock. He virtually acquired caught within the air however acquired the ball to Isaiah Hartenstein. Earlier than he hit the bottom, he was chasing his personal cross and gaining a step on his defender as he acquired the ball again.
When the Sixers seemingly had him trapped, Brunson discovered house to launch a leaning 15-footer that rattled in and put the Knicks up 5 …
Within the closing two minutes, the Sixers double-teamed Brunson at first of each possession. However after Oubre was referred to as for a foul attempting to disclaim him the ball, Philly did not ship one other double-team on the following inbounds play. Brunson drove previous Oubre, slammed on the brakes, drew contact, and acquired a floater to fall …
Brunson averaged 35.5 factors over the collection, the seventh most for any participant in a collection of at the very least six video games within the final 25 years.
4. Even a less-than-100-percent Embiid makes an enormous distinction
Embiid bounced again from a tough Recreation 5 to attain 39 factors in Recreation 6, taking pictures 12-for-25 from the sphere and 13-for-13 from the road.
Huge image, it was one other postseason during which the reigning Kia MVP was not at his finest, both coping with an harm or getting back from one. Embiid was not in nice form on this collection, having just lately returned from an prolonged absence. He seemingly re-aggravated his knee harm in Recreation 1, was coping with a case of Bell’s Palsy and was listed as questionable earlier than Recreation 5 with a migraine.
However any Embiid is healthier than no Embiid. On this collection, the Sixers outscored the Knicks by 46 factors (9.3 per 100 possessions) in his 248 minutes on the ground, they usually had been outscored by 47 (52.4 per 100 possessions) in his 45 minutes on the bench.
It was paying homage to the 2019 Jap Convention semifinals, when the Sixers had been outscored by 109 factors in Embiid’s 99 minutes off the ground, dropping on the buzzer in Recreation 7.
For the season, Philly was 34-12 (.730) when Embiid performed and 16-27 (.372) when he didn’t. He wasn’t eligible for a second straight Kia MVP award, however he nonetheless could be the most respected participant within the league.
5. Sixers head into the summer season with a principally clean slate
Philly is amongst 4 groups to win over 60% of their video games during the last seven common seasons. The opposite three — the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets — have all been to the Finals in that stretch, and two of them gained championships.
The Sixers (347-208, .625) haven’t reached the convention finals since 2001. They now head into one other offseason that would change the franchise dramatically.
It’s been a wild trip for the reason that begin of “The Course of,” with extremely paid gamers like Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, J.J. Redick and Tobias Harris biking out and in round Embiid.
Of the 16 gamers on the Sixers’ present roster, solely Embiid has a assured contract for subsequent season. Everybody else is both a free agent, a possible free agent (Philly has a group possibility on little-used guard Jeff Dowtin), or has a non-guaranteed contract for 2024-25.
Precedence No. 1, after all, is re-signing Maxey (a restricted free agent). After that, group president Daryl Morey is working with a really clean slate, although the checklist of obtainable, star-level free brokers is restricted.
One of many highest-paid gamers who will probably be a free agent is the Sixers’ personal Harris, who averaged simply 9 factors per sport on this collection. Given his underwhelming efficiency this season, his return doesn’t appear doubtless, however will probably be fascinating to see the phrases of Harris’ subsequent contract — wherever he lands.
The Sixers do have some further picks in future Drafts, so they may additionally discover the commerce market. It doesn’t matter what, with Embiid now 30 years previous, will probably be a vital offseason for one of many league’s marquee franchises.
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You possibly can e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and observe him on X.
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