The Philadelphia 76ers looked like they were headed for yet another early playoff exit; with 28 seconds left in the game, the New York Knicks, up by 3-1 in the series, went up by six in Game 5 courtesy of a Miles McBride jumpshot. This looked like the proverbial nail in the coffin of the 76ers' season, but Tyrese Maxey refused to have that be the end of the best professional season of his career to this point.

Maxey brought the 76ers to within two after nailing an epic four-point play, and then the Knicks left the door open after Josh Hart missed a free throw. This then set the stage for another heroic Maxey shot, with the 76ers star nailing a bonkers three from the logo with less than eight seconds left to tie the game at 97.

The 76ers ended up winning, 112-106, to extend their season, thanks in large part to Tyrese Maxey's refusal to go gently into that good night. Maxey, in fact, gave Knicks fans some sort of deja vu; seven points in 28 seconds may not have the same ring to it as eight points in nine seconds, but the 76ers star gave fans in attendance in Madison Square Garden some Reggie Miller flashbacks nonetheless.

“I watched Game 5 with 2 Knicks fans and down 6 with 28 seconds left he said this game is over the Sixers don’t have Reggie Miller. My son shouts after Maxey hits that 3 was “We have Maxey!!!!”. I’m a proud dad…lol,” one fan wrote on Twitter (X).

Mike Lupica, National Sports Media Hall of Famer, added: “Those seven points Maxey scored at the end of the 4th quarter felt a lot like the eight Reggie Miller scored against the Knicks at the Garden one time, even if Reggie only needed 9 seconds to do it to them.”

Tyrese Maxey scored 17 of his 46 points on the night in the fourth quarter, and the 76ers needed every bit of his contributions as they managed to stave off elimination at the hands of the Knicks. Now, the 76ers will be looking to finish the job — which Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers did in 1995 when one of the greatest sharpshooters of all time put up one of the most clutch displays in playoff history.

Tyrese Maxey gives Knicks fans some Reggie Miller flashbacks

The Knicks and Pacers had a few famous playoff duels in the 1990s; for the 76ers, the memories they evoked was that of the two's 1995 playoff tussle. Reggie Miller put up a heroic effort in the dying seconds of Game 1 of their second-round series, and they ended up winning the series in seven games. For the 76ers, they'll be looking to get the same result.

That immortalized eight points in nine seconds game is different from the one wherein Miller famously taunted Spike Lee and the Knicks with the choke pose. That choke game came in 1994, when Miller led the Pacers to a crucial Game 5 victory after putting up one of the most impressive fourth quarters in NBA playoff history — a 25-point period to lead Indiana to a comeback from 12 down entering the fourth.

For Knicks fans, they are holding on to the hope that the 76ers would end up as the 1994 Pacers team that seemingly had the momentum and yet failed to advance to the next round.

But for the 76ers, Tyrese Maxey is simply playing at a different level; the Knicks have been one of the best defensive teams in the league since trading for OG Anunoby, and yet Maxey had little to no trouble dissecting their defense. He finished with 46 points on 17-30 shooting from the field — a performance that did wonders in cementing his status as a legitimate superstar.

Can Joel Embiid come alive for the 76ers?

76ers fans will be thanking their lucky stars that they have a healthy Tyrese Maxey around to lead the way and prevent an early playoff exit in Game 5, as Joel Embiid, simply put, played poorly in Game 5. Embiid, despite tallying a triple double, was far from his best self.

His body language was all sorts of bad as the Knicks defense collapsed on him and prevented him from being comfortable, and what ensued was yet another horrific night in a closeout game for the 2023 NBA MVP. Embiid shot just 7-19 from the field and then he turned the ball over nine times.

Moreover, Embiid was nowhere to be found in the fourth quarter with the 76ers' season on the line. He scored just two points on 1-4 shooting from the field, and overall, Embiid looked like he was having trouble with the same demons that have been plaguing him throughout his playoff career.

With the series heading back to Philadelphia, Joel Embiid should have a monster game, as the Knicks, despite this momentum-halting defeat, will be giving it their all on the road.