It’s a classic NBA Playoff rivalry in the next round. The New York Knicks face a very familiar foe from the 90s, the Indiana Pacers. Before the faithful outlined this marquee matchup that would return in the postseason, they had to give support to the Philadelphia 76ers. The team didn’t give up and proved they could hold their own against the best despite being bogged down by injury problems throughout the year. Stars and fans alike especially loved Tyrese Maxey. Even Ben Stiller and Jerry Ferrara had to show some love.
“Compared to Maxey. He is a beast. The fastest guy he’s ever seen in 35 years of watching basketball. He made me nervous watching a possession where he took a run,” wrote Jerry Ferrara.
“It was a crazy series. Respect the Sixers and the fans…” Ben Stiller declared after the Knicks won Game 6 against the Sixers.
Tyrese Maxey was the living, breathing heart of the 76ers in this NBA Playoff matchup. This is why Jerry Ferrara and Ben Stiller liked him a lot. He absolutely didn’t want to rest in this series against the Knicks. Coach Nick Nurse allowed him to play an average of 45 minutes while giving him the green light to average 24 field goal attempts per game. This gamble paid off for him. In addition to him not being injured, he also shot a highly efficient 50% from all three scoring levels to yield 32.4 points on a nightly basis.
That wasn’t the only thing his offensive arsenal unleashed on the Knicks defense. He also dished out 7.2 assists to keep the 76ers offense alive. His heroics were also the reason why every game of this NBA playoff series was close. All of this was complete. Something might tell Knicks fans that this wouldn’t be the last time they see this modern rivalry.