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The New York Knicks advanced to the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs after outlasting the Philadelphia 76ers in a grueling six-game series. Knicks fans celebrated the team's series win as they moved on to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight year.
Jalen Brunson led the way for New York in their 118-115 win, finishing with 41 points, three rebounds and 12 assists. He also hit two clutch free throws to ice the game, but Josh Hart hit the go-ahead 3-point shot. Hart was criticized for his free throw woes in Game 5 but bounced back with a clutch shot on Thursday night in Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid finished with 39 points, 13 rebounds and two assists before fouling out with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game. Tyrese Maxey struggled after his career performance in Game 5. Maxey had 17 points, five rebounds and five assists on the night.
New York Knicks fans rejoiced as they won a playoff series for two years in a row for the first time in 24 years. Some fans were in awe of Jalen Brunson for another magnificent performance, while others just had to give a shout-out to Josh Hart for his clutch 3:
"Josh Hart got breast milk in his veins," one fan wrote.
"He's been an elite addition. Hart rebounds, plays good defense, and just hit a big shot," another fan commented.
"Brunson is the best PG in the East. What a series. What a player," a fan claimed.
Overall, New York fans are just happy they made it out of the first round against a tough Philadelphia 76ers team that had the reigning MVP in Joel Embiid and the 2024 Most Improved Player of the Year in Tyrese Maxey. Some fans also couldn't help but take shots at the Sixers:
"Joel Embiid is still getting "F Embiid" chants in his own house, and he's headed to Cancun," a fan wrote.
"Joel Embiid has been eliminated in the first round again. He remains the only MVP in NBA history without a conference finals appearance," another one remarked.
"Embiid is 30 years old and never touched a conference finals. Most overrated player in the NBA," one fan commented.
What's next for the New York Knicks?
The Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference semifinals after beating the 76ers in six games. They face off against the Indiana Pacers in the second round, and notably, will have homecourt advantage for being the higher seed.
It's arguably a renewed rivalry given all the playoff moments between the two teams back in the 1990s created by players like Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Mark Jackson and many more. It will be the eighth time in history that New York and Indiana will face off in the postseason.
The Pacers have won four of those series, three of which are in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Meanwhile, the Knicks have never beaten Indiana in the second round.
