Tyrese Maxey nearly delivers all-time bad beat

Tyler Lauletta

•
Tyrese Maxey nearly delivers all-time bad beat image

The New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, taking the 111–104 win in front of a hot crowd at Madison Square Garden.

While the game was tightly contested through the first 45 minutes of action, the Knicks took control late, with Josh Hart hitting several clutch threes to put the game away. But while New York’s victory was sealed, a shot at the buzzer by Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey nearly swung the game for those who bet on the Knicks.

Entering the game, the Knicks were 4.5-point favorites, meaning New York had to win by five points or more for bettors to cash their ticket. If the Sixers won the game outright or lost by four or less, Philly bettors would go home happy.

Just as the final seconds of the game ticked away, Maxey threw up a shot from well beyond half-court, and to the surprise of most everyone watching, hit nothing but net.

Again, while the shot would have meant nothing to the outcome of the game, the three would have swung bets, as it would have bumped the score of the game to 111–107, a four-point margin.

Luckily for those that bet the Knicks, Maxey didn’t get the shot away until after the buzzer had sounded.

The close call did not go unnoticed by fans following the action online.

As the saying goes, it ain’t over til it’s over.

Thankfully for Knicks bettors, this one was over.

Tyler Lauletta

Tyler Lauletta Photo

Tyler Lauletta has been working in sports media for nearly a decade, with stops at Business Insider and Sports Illustrated. Residing just outside Philadelphia, he is a recovering Truster of the Process and remains a sicko for the Eagles, Sixers and Phillies. He’s covered the Super Bowl and World Series from the press box and hopes to finagle his way into Wimbledon in the near future. You can follow him on X/Twitter @tylerlauletta.