Knicks cling on to eliminate 76ers 118-115 in nail-biting Game 6 victory, advancing to face the Pacers in bitter conference semifinal rivalry matchup

The New York Knicks outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 118-115 victory in the deciding Game 6 of their first-round series.  

The Knicks will face the Pacers in the conference semifinals, after Indiana eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks themselves earlier on Thursday. 

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 41 points, while Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 39. 

Josh Hart swished the game 3-pointer with under 25 seconds left after he was left wide open at the top of the perimeter. 

Brunson, Hart and Donte DiVincenzo all played college basketball at nearby Villanova and have eliminated Philadelphia from the postseason together. DiVincenzo scored 23 points and Hart had 16.

Josh Hart hit the game-winning 3-pointer with less than 25 seconds left on the clock

Jalen Brunson was again fantastic for the Knicks, scoring 41 points in the crucial victory

Game 1 between the Knicks and Pacers is scheduled for Monday in New York. 

The Knicks are through to the second round in consecutive years for the first time since the postseasons from 1992-2000. 

During a first-quarter blowout, the Knicks led by as many as 22, but that lead went away by the middle of the second quarter. 

After halftime, the Knicks trailed by as many as 10, with the change in momentum appearing to guarantee a Saturday night Game 7 from Madison Square Garden.  

Brunson, who is cementing his spot as the best Knicks player in a generation, has scored at least 37 points in four consecutive playoff games. He is the first player to do that since Michael Jordan in 1993. 

After looking like the MVP mid-season, Embiid could not help the 76ers out of the first round

After the game, Brunson made fun of Philadelphia's ownership.

'I’m just glad we got enough Knick fans down here, they didn’t buy all the tickets,' Brunson said, after the 76ers leadership bought 4,000 tickets for local fans. 

'Was it hostile?' Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau cracked, when asked about the atmosphere. 

After dropping 45 points in Game 5, Tyrese Maxey was a non-factor in the first half and finished with 17.