Jalen Brunson was instrumental with 41 points and Josh Hart broke the tie with a 3-pointer as the New York Knicks eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers from the NBA playoffs with a 118-115 victory in Game 6 of their best-of-seven series on Thursday.
Now the second-seeded Knicks will move on to face the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers in an Eastern Conference best-of-seven semifinal series. Game 1 is set for Monday in New York.
JALEN BRUNSON IS THE BLUEPRINT‼️
The Knicks handle the 76ers in six games to advance in the playoffs 🗽 pic.twitter.com/BZwmGjXQXn
— ESPN (@espn) May 3, 2024
The Knicks led 107-99 with 3:26 to play before the desperate 76ers managed to get to a 111-all tie on a three-point play by Tyrese Maxey that included a goal-tending call on Isaiah Hartenstein with 34.9 seconds to go.
The Knicks turned their hopes to Brunson, who drew the defense and found Hart open for a 3-pointer that put the visitors ahead for good at 114-111 with 25.6 seconds left.
Donte DiVincenzo and Brunson capped the victory by sinking two free throws each, Brunson’s successes coming with 7.7 seconds remaining and leaving the 76ers only an opportunity for a Buddy Hield buzzer-beating heave that hit only the backboard.
Joel Embiid paced the 76ers with 39 points and a team-high 13 rebounds before fouling out in the final seconds. He made 12 of his 25 shots and all 13 of his free-throw attempts.