On May 3, Beijing time, the Knicks narrowly defeated the 76ers 118-115 away and finally reached the Eastern Conference semifinals 4-2, and the New York team finally rose. In this game, Embiid of the 76ers performed well, playing 40 minutes in the game, scoring 39 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block on 12-of-25 shooting, and left the court with six fouls at the last moment. Embiid also set an embarrassing record, he became the first MVP in history to never reach the division finals, and in the last seven seasons, he has been eliminated by the Celtics three times, including the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals, the 76ers lost to the Raptors 3-4, and Embiid is also the closest Embiid has come to the Eastern Conference finals.
Maxey had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and although he didn't play well in this game, Maxey turned the tide in the last game and basically booked a five-year, $200 million contract. Harris was too pitiful, 0 of 2 got 0 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, he left the team in little suspense, and the veteran Lowry also dragged his feet, with 0 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists on 0 of 2 shots. The 76ers' bench players scored 42 points, far more than the Knicks' five, but Harris still lost, and Harris had the most to blame.
The Knicks' Brunson continued to play magically, scoring 41 points and 12 assists on 13-of-27 shooting, and the starting five all scored double-doubles, but the bench players did not give up, and only scored a total of 5 points, so they could all win, and it can only be said that the 76ers played worse. The Knicks face the Pacers in the semifinals, and the Knicks have home-court advantage and are more likely to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 28-year-old Brunson also set a record in today's game, statistically, he scored 39+ in four consecutive playoff games, and is also the first person in the NBA in the past 20 years, compared to Jerry West, Bernard King and Jordan, of which Jordan has done it twice. The Knicks and the 76ers played 6 playoff games, Brunson scored more than 20 points in all 6 games, including 4 games with more than 39 points, 39 points, 2 rebounds and 13 assists, 47 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists, 40 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists and 41 points, 3 rebounds and 12 assists.
Brunson averaged 35.5 points and 9 assists per game in this series, and he is only the third star in history to score at least 35.5 points and 9 assists in a series, the first two being Doncic and Westbrook, who is Brunson's former teammate. The Mavericks' choice to let Brunson leave is indeed not a wise choice, but Doncic needs the ball, so does Brunson, maybe the Knicks did not expect that Brunson has now become the real first point guard in the East, or even the first guard, if you only look at this year's playoffs, Brunson can be said to be the most consistent star in the league.
Outstanding defenders in the East include Mitchell, Garland, Lillard, Haliburton, Trae Young and others, but these stars have never played as well as Brunson in their careers. Brunson is at the peak of his career, he can at least sign a contract with a maximum salary, and, judging from the results of leading the team, the Knicks are ranked second in the East, in fact, Brunson should also be among the MVP candidates, his teammates are Hart, Anunoby, Hartenstein and other ordinary stars, and Jokic has Murray and Porter by his side, Doncic also has Irving to help, and Alexander is surrounded by young talents, including Keady, Holmgren, Jalen Williams, etc.