Knicks dismantle 76ers to complete sweep, advance to Eastern Conference finals

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksMeet KAT's Biggest FanHollinger's Top Draft ProspectsLottery Reform Is OverdueWhat Makes Up Championship DNA?NBA Playoffs Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks used their outside shooting to sweep the Sixers out of the postseason. Emilee Chinn / Getty Images Share articleThe New York Knicks made quick work of the Philadelphia 76ers, and in the series-clinching Game 4, they once again made it look easy. Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 25 points, and New York led by as many as 44 en route to a 144-114 road win on Sunday in Philadelphia. The Knicks won the East semifinals series 4-0 and now advance to the Eastern Conference finals to meet the winner of the series between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. New York won three of the four games by double digits and outscored the Sixers 497-408 in the series. In Game 4, the Knicks made a franchise playoff record 25 3-pointers on 44 attempts, making 11 of 13 in the opening period and tying an NBA playoff record with 18 at halftime. In their 39-point home win in Game 1, the Knicks shot a playoff franchise record 63.1 percent from the field. Here are some takeaways from Game 4. Not only are the New York Knicks continuing their dominant postseason run, but they also get to reap the benefits of taking care of business in such a convincing fashion. The Knicks will get to kick their feet up for the next week as they wait to learn who their opponent will be in the Eastern Conference finals. New York closed out Philadelphia as fast as possible in the best-of-7 series, while the Pistons and Cavaliers will have to play at least two more games before the Knicks know who their opponent will be. This is the first playoff sweep the franchise has had in a seven-game series since 1999, which is also the last time New York played in the NBA Finals. The Knicks aren’t an old team, but they’ve got a lot of miles on them. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges have regularly been among the league leaders in minutes played. Jalen Brunson has been heavily depended on since 2022. Karl-Anthony Towns has been around the block. Mitchell Robinson is oft-injured. OG Anunoby is currently sidelined with a hamstring strain. The Knicks are in a good position to have fresh legs going into the Eastern Conference finals, which isn’t guaranteed at this stage in the season. Neither this iteration of the Pistons nor the Cavaliers has made it past the second round, making it a possibility that tired legs catch up to them in the next round. The Knicks were in the Eastern Conference finals last season, but this time they’re oozing with ultimate confidence and a rested roster. — James Edwards III, Knicks beat writer  Miles “Deuce” McBride is not afraid. That is what his coach, Mike Brown, said before Game 4 of the Knicks’ humiliating sweep of the 76ers. McBride missed a combined 9 of 11 shots in Games 2 and 3, but he was back in the starting lineup in place of the injured OG Anunoby because Brown believes in him. “He gives us the ability to make shots from range and/or the ability to go get a shot,” said Brown, who also cited the 6-foot-2 guard’s ballhandling, defense, versatility, and analytic compatibility with Jalen Brunson. And then McBride honored that faith with a first-quarter explosion that had the 76ers crowd — I mean, the Knicks crowd — starting a “Deuuuuuuuce” chant even before he released his jump shots. While the Sixers were (rightfully) focused on more established Knicks scorers, McBride buried them from deep. He needed a mere five minutes to drain his first four 3s and to send a message that the Knicks were just as serious about this closeout opportunity as they were about destroying the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6. McBride made his first five 3s and finished the first half with 20 points, or 14 more than his career playoff scoring average entering Sunday. He went to the bench near the end of the third quarter with 25 points to his name. When McBride missed a couple of months with his core muscle injury, Knicks fans were rightfully concerned about what kind of player they might be seeing in the postseason. Deuce gave a definitive answer in Game 4, making the Knicks even more dangerous in the Eastern Conference finals. Now the Detroit Pistons or Cleveland Cavaliers have to account for one more legitimate offensive threat on the New York side of the ball. — Ian O’Connor, Columnist As it turns out, the first-round win over the Boston Celtics was just a facade for the Philadelphia 76ers. Instead, the harsh truth is this: The Celtics and the Sixers were much more pretenders than contenders. And if Boston had been the team to advance instead of Philly, the same likely would have happened. That’s how good the New York Knicks have been in this series. In a way, this is good for the 76ers. The band-aid probably needs to be ripped off, which means considering a major change is necessary. A second-round exit is one thing. But this was an embarrassment. It was not only a sweep, but it was a four-game testimony of just how far the Sixers are from the top of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks gave Philadelphia the blues for four games. They beat them relentlessly on the floor, and then their fans took over Xfinity Mobile Arena for Games 3 and 4, which led to an untenable Mother’s Day atmosphere, if you are a fan of Philadelphia. The Sixers have to ask themselves where they go from here with an expensive and aging roster at the top, and limited assets to offset the age. The next two months will indeed be interesting. — Tony Jones, Sixers beat writer  The Knicks essentially broke the record: Through three quarters of their Game 4 demolition, they scored 122 points on 71 possessions — 171.8 per 100. That rate was historic. According to NBA.com’s John Schuhmann, it would have shattered the record for a single playoff game. With a few minutes to go in the third period and the Knicks up nearly 40 points, Brown pulled his starters for good. Garbage time prevented the Knicks from breaking the single-game record, which the Celtics set in 2002, going for 148.1 points per 100 in a win against the 76ers. After a slower final period with the reserves out there, the Knicks fell just short: 146.9. But had they left their starters in, eschewing sportsmanship and practicality all at once, they likely would have produced the greatest offensive performance in NBA playoff history. Think about it like this: 171.8 points per 100 possessions is the mathematical equivalent of an 86 percent free-throw shooter going to the line for a couple of freebies. The Knicks caught fire. They did not cool down. And they nearly burned down the history books. — Fred Katz, Senior NBA writer  Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms