Maxey's flying finish keeps 76ers' playoff hopes alive
Tyrese Maxey saved Philadelphia from elimination with seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation time of Game 5 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Knicks.
Maxey finished with 46 to lead the 76ers to a 112-106 overtime victory over the home side on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEST).
The 76ers trailed by six points with 28 seconds left in regulation time, before Maxey's heroics.
The All-Star guard converted a four-point play with 25 seconds remaining to cut it to two, and after Josh Hart's free throw, pulled up from 35 feet to tie it at 97-97 with 8.1 seconds left in front of a stunned crowd that was set to celebrate the Knicks' second straight trip to the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Joel Embiid finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for the 76ers, who will host Game 6 on Thursday night.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points and Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner's lay-up in the final seconds as the Cavaliers survived a scare from Orlando to take a 3-2 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference series.
The home side survived a 39-point haul from Paolo Banchero to beat the Magic 104-103 in Game 5 on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEST).
The Cavs, who were embarrassed by the Magic while dropping two games in Orlando last week, regrouped inside roaring Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
After Mitchell missed a jumper with 15.7 seconds left, Wagner drove the left side for a potential game-tying lay-up but was denied at the rim with six seconds left by Mobley, who smacked the ball off the backboard.
Mitchell was fouled and made two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining to make it 104-100. There wasn't enough time for the Magic, who got a three-pointer in the final second from Banchero, giving him 39 points.
Australian Joe Ingles had six points and three rebounds for the Magic.
In Milwaukee, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis each scored 29 points as short-handed Milwaukee kept their season alive by routing Indiana 115-92 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Portis had the highest points total of his playoff career and added 10 rebounds to make amends two nights after he got ejected from a Game 4 loss.
The Pacers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
