Game 5 of the series between the Knicks and the 76ers, with just 30 seconds left before the 76ers were eliminated, they trailed by six points at 90-96, and it looked like Embiid's season wrap-up after the end of his last game was about to take effect.
When the team was down 3-1, Embiid said: "We're not under pressure, we're the No. 7 seed, we're 3-1 down, we've got a lot of injuries. I don't know why we're stressed. ”
It sounds like Embiid has already made a good case for his first-round trip, they are the underdogs themselves (and it makes sense to be eliminated), they have a lot of injuries, but he didn't take into account that the second-best of the opposite Knicks has already been out for the season.
Back in the game, when the 76ers were six points behind and hanging by a thread, Maxey stepped up, made a three-pointer and drew a foul, and was only two points away from hitting a free throw. With Hart's one-of-a-two free throws, Maxey was given the chance to tie the game, and he didn't miss it.
Embiid gave Maxey a cover in the center circle, and Miro's defensive position was already at the limit, and he could be passed by Maxey one step further. Maxi didn't hesitate, stepped on the logo position and shot three points directly, hitting again!
It was a three-pointer to save the 76ers' season, and Maxey scored seven points in a row, allowing the 76ers to continue the possibilities. Maxey was able to hit a three-pointer in overtime to help Philadelphia nibble on a hard-fought victory.
In the whole game, Maxi played as many as 52 minutes, second only to Iron Hart. He shot 17-of-30, 7-of-12 from three-point range and 5-of-8 from the free-throw line for 46 points, five rebounds and nine assists. He became the second player after Iverson of the 76ers to score 45 points, five rebounds and five assists in the playoffs, and Embiid was one assist behind in Game 3.
Speaking of Embiid, if it weren't for Maxey, Embiid would probably be ridiculed for the entire offseason today. In the life-and-death battle in the playoffs, he even almost got a quadruple-double, shooting 7 of 19, 1 of 4 three-pointers, and only scored 19 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 blocks and 9 turnovers.
The triple-double stats look good, and Embiid's emphasis on passing this season probably wants to be a center like Jokic who can often get triple-doubles. But if you have 10 assists and 9 turnovers, you're hardly going to be good.
Embiid, to be honest, is a bit of a "strong when you are strong, you are weak when you are weak". He definitely knows how to play the ball properly. For example, at the end of today, he gave Maxi cover, gave Maxi space to shoot, and made wedding dresses for others many times in overtime, and he also fulfilled himself.
But Embiid's problem is that he knows how to play the right game, but sometimes he likes to play twice. I've seen him ask for the ball in the waist position, then get caught by the Knicks, and then there was a turnover.
Jokic and Murray have proven how powerful a top-tier center can be if they can safely block defenders. Embiid could have grown like Jokic in this series, but suddenly, he reverted to that immature form.
In the first four games, Embiid's ability to control turnovers is worth bragging about, with only 11 turnovers in four games. But today's game brought his average turnovers to 4. For comparison, Jokic averaged 9.8 assists and only 3.2 turnovers in a series against the Lakers.
I guess Embiid made a mistake in the final minute of the quarter, and when OG scored on a fast break, he was ready to end the season. Then Maxey scored 7 points in a row, delaying Embiid's vacation.
It is worth mentioning that Embiid grabbed a new high in five games in the final quarter of today, two. Because in the previous four games, his rebounds in the final quarter were 0/0/1/1. In more than 4 minutes of overtime, Embiid also grabbed two rebounds, which shows that Embiid can still grab rebounds as long as he wants to grab them.
But in his series this round, although it seems that the average of 10.4 rebounds per game is acceptable, he seems to be nailed to the three-point line as soon as he reaches the end of the quarter.
Thanks to Little Pony, Embiid still has a chance to redeem his reputation. The Knicks' style of play looks like they have reached the end of their power, and the next game will return to Philadelphia, and if the 76ers can get another win, then the tie-break is really a possibility for anyone to win or lose.
So Bede, you've got to stand up.