4 takeaways: Tyrese Maxey silences MSG with a 46-point performance in the Knicks-Sixers game.

In only 13.9 seconds, the New York Knicks scored six points to steal Game 2 of their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. They were surpassed eight days later by Tyrese Maxey, who scored seven points in 17.3 seconds to force Game 5 into overtime, where Philadelphia defeated New York and averted elimination.

In that Game 2 defeat, Maxey was outstanding. In yet another thrilling game at Madison Square Garden, he scored 46 points on Tuesday, helping the Sixers, who trail 3-2 despite both teams pulling out surprising wins, win 112-106.

As the Sixers return the series to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Thursday, here are some statistics, observations, and video.

-Maxey gets his chance at the conclusion of regulation.

Joel Embiid and the Sixers seemed to run out of gas in the closing minutes of this game, as well. With 28.9 seconds remaining, Philly was behind six points as the Knicks had scored on their previous four possessions.

Just two nights prior, the Sixers were having trouble generating offence when things got tight. However, on Tuesday, there was no hesitation, no waiting for double teams to arrive, and no attempt to force the ball to Embiid in the post.

Starting from the backcourt, Maxey dribbled to his left, using an Embiid screen to keep Miles McBride off the ball, after catching Nicolas Batum’s inbounds pass at the midcourt line. Mitchell Robinson leaped to challenge him as soon as he pulled up.

However, Maxey delayed, forced Robinson to make contact, and he leaned to his left to drain a difficult 3-pointer. It was now a two-point game when he made the subsequent free throw.

With 15.3 seconds remaining, Josh Hart split a pair of free throws, opening the door.

The Sixers were down three and out of timeouts. With 14 seconds remaining, McBride gave up the ball to Maxey after first stopping him in the backcourt.

Embiid took a quick step forward and placed another screen, this time directing Maxey to run right, just past the midcourt line.

At midcourt, several feet over the 3-point line, Robinson’s foot were initially on the Knicks logo. With 8.1 seconds remaining, Maxey knotted the game with a daring 35-foot pull-up, but before he could finish, he backed up a little.

-Big defensive plays in overtime are made by Embiid.

But the match was far from done. By putting Embiid and Brunson in pick-and-rolls, the Knicks scored five points on their first two overtime possessions.

Having played just under forty-three minutes in regulation, Embiid appeared to be nearing exhaustion. He was forced to play the entire overtime period since the Sixers have struggled in this series without him (minus 63 points per 100 possessions).

Despite shooting only 7-for-19 (37%) and committing nine turnovers, the current Kia NBA MVP recorded a triple-double (19 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists).

All night long, Brunson had been harassing him. When the Sixers used Embiid at the screen level on pick-and-rolls, it largely didn’t work.

-The 76ers flip one, then another.

With an Oubre layup that slid through the net and ricocheted around the hoop, the Sixers regained the lead.

And then, inexplicably, they devised an entirely new defensive strategy.

With Oubre defending Brunson, Embiid encouraged Batum to guard Isaiah Hartenstein, who was setting up all these screens for Brunson, while Brunson took the ball up to the floor. Embiid could not be drawn into the incident if he was protecting Hart rather than the screener. Hartenstein contacted Hart to come set the screen because Brunson was still adamant about wanting Embiid. Batum was once more manning the screener, though, as Embiid and Batum traded places.

Hart then waved for Hartenstein to return to the baseline and reset the screen, but Hartenstein stayed on the baseline as Brunson began to approach towards Oubre.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Sixers switched to a zone defence, as if they were looking for answers against Brunson, who had averaged 46.7 points in the previous three games. It’s not like their present plan is killing them—the Sixers lost Game 4 by five points despite winning two of the previous three.

-Hart makes easy points for the Knicks.

With an average of just 96.0 possessions per 48 minutes, the Knicks finished lowest in terms of pace this season. Furthermore, both teams have averaged 91.1 per 48 in this series, which is significantly slower than that (the second slowest of the eight first round series).

Despite the fact that the Knicks have Hart, a one-man fast break, the Sixers still need to recover in transition.

Occasionally, a defender moves ahead of him just in time. Hart, though, is developing into a fantastic playmaker, and his relentlessness on the break will provide his teammates with nice looks from outside the area. He assisted on two consecutive transition threes, one from OG Anunoby and the other from McBride, as the Knicks started the second quarter on an 18-2 run

When Hart gets the ball in the backcourt, he will sprint all the way to the hoop until someone stops him. There are moments when Hart has a layup and no one else does.

But as they won the series by the narrowest of margins, did they discover a new defensive strategy?

Hart would simply create more screens for Brunson if Embiid guarded him. Pre-switching as frequently as feasible could prevent a more agile defender from getting as much in front of Brunson.