Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers Game 6: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First round
The Philadelphia 76ers came back from dead to stay alive in the series and now they are hosting the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.
Can the Knicks regroup quickly?
The New York Knicks already saw themselves through to the next round after being up by six points with 28 seconds left in the game. Just like they turned Game 2 in their own favor, they lost this one and will have to go to Philly again. Jalen Brunson had another impressive performance in Game 5, scoring 40 points on 15 of 32 shots from the field. Josh Hart was solid with 18, and OG Anunoby added 17.
The Sixers believe in miracles
The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in a knockdown, but then Tyrese Maxey pulled out one of the best clutch performances in NBA Playoff history, scoring 7 points in the last 28 seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime and eventually lead the Sixers to a 112-106 win. Maxey scored a career playoff high with 46 points on 17 of 30 shots from the field. Joel Embiid had 19 points and 16 rebounds, and Tobias Harris had his best game of the series, adding 19 for the Sixers.
Betting Trends
The Sixers are 13-3 ATS in the last 16 games overall, 11-3 ATS in the last 14 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games against teams from the Atlantic Division. The Knicks are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 games overall and 4-8 ATS in the last 12 games played in May.
Prediction and Conclusion
The New York Knicks thought they made it to the second playoff round, but now they will have to go to Philadelphia, hoping to close out the series. The Knicks played well for most of Game 5, but allowing Tyrese Maxey to take some long shots cost them the game. Now the momentum has switched to the Sixers, who have a chance to tie the series and go back to New York for the decisive game. Tyrese Maxey is the best player on the Sixers now, and the Knicks have a real problem slowing him down. Joel Embiid is playing much better at home than on the road, and these two will be enough to lead the Sixers to a win by covering the -3.5-point spread.
