76ers lack finisher without Joel Embiid, go cold in fourth quarter of Game 2 loss to Knicks

That forced the Sixers to deploy 6-9 forward Dominick Barlow at center for five minutes at the end of the third quarter – a smaller lineup they stuck with in the fourth.

The Knicks outscored Philadelphia in the paint, 56-30.

After undergoing an emergency appendectomy in April, Embiid returned just 17 days later in the middle of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Boston Celtics.

Embiid played well, averaging 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game over four appearances to help the Sixers overcome a 3-1 deficit and beat Boston in seven games.

But Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals — which took place just two days after Philadelphia’s Game 7 win in Boston — proved to be a grind for Embiid.

He managed only 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting with four rebounds and an assist in the Sixers’ 137-98 loss at the Garden, and he was a liability on defense as the Knicks repeatedly targeted him in the pick-and-roll.

Philadelphia’s offense stagnated throughout Game 1, shooting just 41.9% from the field and totaling only 15 assists.

The Sixers’ offense looked much more fluid early on Wednesday.

George erupted for 11 points in the game’s first 4:10, a surge in which he drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions.

The Knicks’ extra pressure on the play-making Maxey led to open looks for Philly, which shot 6-of-9 on 3-pointers in the first quarter and led, 33-31, going into the second.

Maxey then took over in the second, scoring 15 of his 19 first-half points and dishing out three assists.

Mikal Bridges and Miles “Deuce” McBride — the defensive duo who helped limit Maxey to 13 points on 3-of-9 shooting in Game 1 — had less success staying in front of the lightning-quick point guard in Wednesday’s first half.

Maxey went to the free-throw six times in the second quarter, making five of those attempts, and also nailed a pair of off-balance jumpers.

Edgecombe, meanwhile, sank a 3-pointer off of a Maxey assist with 5.5 seconds left in the second quarter, helping give Philadelphia a 62-61 lead at the break.

The rookie Edgecombe added two more 3-pointers during an eight-point third quarter, after which the Sixers led, 90-89.

But the fourth quarter was a story.

Maxey finished with 26 points on 9-of-23 shooting, while George added 19 points on 7-of-18.

Edgecombe had 17 points while going 6-of-13 from the field. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19 points.

The Sixers are treating Embiid as day-to-day, with Game 3 in Philadelphia scheduled for Friday night.

“Coming back from that appendectomy so quick was not easy for him to do,” Nurse said before Game 2. “He’s worked extremely hard to get back, and he continues to want to play, badly. I feel really bad for him, because really wants to be out there. And we want him out there.”