PHILADELPHIA _ This one had to be pleasing.
The New York Knicks had been a thorn in the 76ers' side for the last few seasons. No matter how hard the Sixers played in recent meetings, they just couldn't beat their Atlantic Division rival.
That changed Wednesday night, as T.J. McConnell hit a buzzer-beating, 12-foot baseline jumper to give the Sixers a 98-97 victory at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers (11-25) had lost five straight series meetings since beating the Knicks on March 20, 2015.
But the Sixers have been on a roll this season. This victory marked their fourth win in five games. Meanwhile, the Knicks (17-22) are a struggling ball club. They have lost three straight and nine of their last 10 games.
It appeared that New York was on its way to a much-needed victory. They held a 93-83 lead with 2 minutes, 29 seconds remaining.
The Sixers pulled within one point (95-94) on Joel Embiid's layup with 51.8 seconds left. However, Derrick Rose put the Knicks back up by three on a layup with 34.5 ticks remaining.
Gerald Henderson hit a pair of free throws on the Sixers' ensuing possession to make a 97-96 game at the 27.8-second mark. But Kristaps Porzingis missed a 3-pointer when the Knicks got the ball. Henderson grabbed the rebound and raced up the court, setting up McConnell's game-winner.
The point guard finished with eight points, a game-high seven assists and two steals. Embiid paced the Sixers with 21 points, 14 rebounds and one block.
Knicks swingman Carmelo Anthony finished with a game-high 28 points. Rose added 25 points and four assists.
Rose sure wasn't AWOL on Wednesday night. The Knicks point guard scored 12 of his points on 6-for-7 shooting in the first quarter.
All was well two nights after Rose missed Monday's Knicks game against the Pelicans. Rose said he went home to Chicago to be with his mother for a "family issue." He didn't notify the team of his departure and ignored phone calls from teammates and members of the front office. Rose said he didn't pick the phone because he needed space.
However, the Knicks gave him a slap on the wrist. He had to pay a fine and was inserted back into the starting lineup Wednesday.
"He's our starter," Knick coach Jeff Hornacek said. "He's been the starter all year, and he's a great player. I think the amount of the fine for missing the game, whatever the other fine was, was what they determined was enough punishment."
Hornacek said Rose spoke to Knicks president of basketball operation Phil Jackson, general manager Steve Mills, Hornacek and his teammates after the incident. The coach said the situation did not damage the trust between Rose and the team.
"These guys are all a pretty close-knit group (like) most teams," Hornacek said. "They understand that things happen. Sure, they're hoping that they knew what was going on with him before the game, but they're all supportive of him and happy he's back."
Embiid suffered a little scare late in the second quarter. He suffered a sprained left ankle. Nerlens Noel subbed in for him with 34.6 seconds before intermission. However, Embiid returned at the start of the third quarter.
