Tyrese Maxey saved Philadelphia from elimination with seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation, finishing with 46 and leading the 76ers to a 112-106 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.
The 76ers trailed by six points with 28 seconds left before Maxey pulled off a comeback that brought back memories of Reggie Miller’s eight points in nine seconds for Indiana at Madison Square Garden in 1995.
“It just went through my head: Find a way to survive,” Maxey said after the game.
The All-Star guard converted a four-point play with 25 seconds left to cut the deficit to two, and after Josh Hart’s free throw, he pulled up from 10 yards out to tie the game at 97 -97 with 8.1 seconds left in front of a stunned crowd preparing to celebrate the Knicks’ second straight trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Joel Embiid finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for the 76ers, who will host Game 6 on Thursday night trailing 3-2 in the series.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner’s layup in the final seconds and the Cavaliers survived an Orlando scare and held off Paolo Banchero and the Magic to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference Series.
The Cavs, who were embarrassed by the Magic when they dropped two games in Orlando last week, regrouped in a roaring Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
It took everything they had. After Mitchell missed a jumper with 15.7 seconds left, Wagner drove to the left side for a potential tying layup but was denied at the rim with six seconds left by Mobley, who knocked the ball off the backboard .
Mitchell was fouled and made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to make it 104-100. There wasn’t enough time for the Magic, who got a 3-pointer from Banchero in the final second for 39 points.
In Tuesday night’s other playoff game, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis each scored 29 points and shorthanded Milwaukee kept their season alive by beating Indiana in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Portis had the highest point total of his playoff career and added 10 rebounds to make up for it two nights after being ejected in a Game 4 loss. Middleton had his third straight game with at least 25 points, and he also contributed 12 rebounds and five assists.
The Pacers still lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 6 Thursday in Indianapolis. The Pacers are trying to advance beyond the opening round for the first time since 2014.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers remains hopeful that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can return from injuries before the end of the series. Rivers was asked after the game about the duo’s possible availability.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” Rivers said. “I know I hope. I think they are very, very, very close [to a return].”