PHILADELPHIA — With 3:37 left in the second quarter of Game 3, Tyrese Maxey’s shoulders said what his mouth couldn’t: "We’re cooked." The 76ers had thrown their best punch early, scoring nine points before the Knicks even got on the board. They led 17-8 just five minutes in and held a 27-18 edge late in the first quarter. With Joel Embiid on the floor and the Knicks missing OG Anunoby, Philadelphia had momentum—a chance to steal a game and revive their playoff hopes after dropping the first two in New York.

But the Sixers underestimated the Knicks’ resilience. This is a team built for the big moments, a squad of prize fighters who show up when it matters most. After Paul George dropped 15 points in the first quarter alone, the Knicks answered with a flurry of haymakers that Maxey couldn’t believe before halftime.

Philadelphia led by 12 in the first. By the 9:57 mark of the second, the Knicks tied it at 33. Then Jalen Brunson banked in a floater with under four minutes left in the period, pushing New York’s lead to 12 and sending Maxey into frustration. Coach Nick Nurse called timeout and, following a familiar script, pulled his starters early as the Knicks rolled to a 108-94 road win.

Maxey hung his head and shrugged because the Knicks—whose fans flooded the Sixers’ home arena—are inevitable. Now up 3-0 in the second-round series, history is on their side. No NBA team has ever come back from that deficit. For the Knicks, it’s just another reminder: everyone talks about being better than them, but when it’s time to prove it, they’re the ones standing tall.