With two supremely athletic forwards, Ethan and Toppin, backing him up, Paul enjoyed excellent protection.
Even when Maxey deliberately targeted Paul, he often had to pass out once the help defense arrived.
Under those circumstances, the 76ers' perimeter shooters looked a little short on consistency.
Of course, the Knicks were not doing much better in that regard.
Toppin and Ethan, and even Horford, each squandered a few opportunities, missing open threes from outside.
Even so, with Paul's pinpoint feeds and Strus's excellent off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot game, the Knicks exerted greater control and managed to stretch their lead a little.
With five and a half minutes left in the second quarter, the score stood at 49–43.
The Knicks had successfully built a six-point lead.
Philadelphia then called a timeout.
Embiid, Butler, and the other core players returned to the floor one after another.
New York responded by bringing its own Twin Stars on the wings back into the game.
Another round of high-intensity combat began.
Play resumed with the Philadelphia 76ers in possession.
Maxey received the inbound pass in the backcourt, crossed half court, and initiated a pick-and-roll at the top of the key.
Using Embiid's screen, he took two steps left, then abruptly stopped, rose, and launched a three-point shot.
The ball swished through the net!
That gave him his seventeenth point of the night.
Tyrese Maxey had become the Philadelphia 76ers' most reliable scoring option that evening.
Under the spotlight was the utterly confident face of a young player.
At the other end, Horford inbounded the ball from beyond the Knicks' backcourt baseline.
Paul caught it, turned, and brought it across half court to the top of the key, continuing to organize the offense.
He dribbled slowly toward the left wing, beckoned Horford to move up for