Joel Embiid On Playing In New York: 'My Favorite City In The World'

Embiid put up 19 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, four blocks, and nine turnovers in the 76ers' Game 5 win, sealed by Tyrese Maxey's incredible 46-point performance. Maxey hit an incredible game-tying three from the logo before helping the 76ers pull away in OT and keep their season alive.

Embiid's comments are funny considering he was once considered the ideal superstar trade target for the Knicks if they needed to add a final piece to their championship-contending roster. The Knicks have gotten better incredibly quickly over this season, cooling the Embiid interest as Jalen Brunson emerged as an MVP-caliber guard.

Tyrese Maxey Reacts To Game-Winning Performance In New York

Even though Embiid is the one who loves to play in New York, it was his teammate Tyrese Maxey who showed up to deliver in the big moments in Game 5 while Embiid struggled. 

Maxey scored 46 points and hit an incredible logo three at the end of regulation to push the game to OT. He reacted to his performance after the game and was happy to have helped the 76ers survive with an elimination game win in OT.

"What was going through my mind was, 'Find a way to survive.' The season is on the line, I trust my work, and what I've done all my life. It was just about getting to a spot and knocking the shot down."

Maxey and Embiid shared a heartfelt moment together after the game, with Maxey reassuring Embiid that he has his center's back.

Embiid needed the help offensively tonight as he couldn't fool the referees enough to continue shooting at a historic rate from free throws. Embiid had been averaging over 14 free throw attempts a game until Game 5, where he was given just six shots from the line. It's interesting to see Embiid's production and efficiency drop off significantly without free throws. He's averaging 31.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.

Maxey is averaging 32.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in this series. He's made for the biggest moments as he showed tonight. If he and Embiid can continue succeeding, a 3-1 comeback might be on the cards for Philadelphia.