Knicks sweep 76ers 144-114

The Knicks didn’t just beat Philadelphia. They detonated the series. A 144-114 win in Game 4 turned a tight-looking matchup on paper into a full-on statement, and now New York is back in the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight season. The big thing here isn’t only the sweep — it’s how overwhelming the closeout was. New York hit 25 threes, tied an NBA playoff record, and basically turned a road game into a Knicks home crowd by the second half. ### Why was this one so lopsided? Because the Knicks came out bombing and never cooled off. They made 11 threes in the first quarter alone — a new NBA postseason record for a quarter — and led 43-24 after one. By halftime, they had 18 threes and 81 points, which told you the game was already tilting into humiliation territory for Philadelphia. (nba.com) ### Who drove it for New York? Miles McBride was the surprise headliner. He started for injured OG Anunoby and dropped 25 points while going 7-for-9 from deep. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were big parts of the engine too, but McBride was the guy who made the game feel broken early — every time Philly looked ready to settle in, another Knicks three landed. (bostonglobe.com) ### Was this just hot shooting? Mostly, yes — but not in the fluky sense. The Knicks got clean looks, moved the ball, and punished Philadelphia’s rotations all night. They finished 25-for-44 from three, shot 53.8% overall, and also won the glass 47-30. So this wasn’t one of those games where a team survives on jumpers alone. New York was sharper everywhere. (usatoday.com) ### What happened to the 76ers? They got buried before the game had any real shape. Philadelphia shot just 8-for-35 from three and never found a defensive answer once the Knicks started stretching the floor. Joel Embiid played, Tyrese Maxey had his moments, and Paul George scored, but none of it mattered because the Sixers were reacting from the opening minutes instead of dictating anything. (foxsports.com) ### Why does the sweep matter so much? Because sweeps change the feel of a playoff run. A six- or seven-game win says you survived. A 4-0 says you controlled the matchup completely. This was also New York’s first best-of-seven series sweep since 1999, which gives the result some franchise-history weight beyond the usual “advance and move on” line. (foxsports.com) ### What does this mean for the next round? The Knicks now wait for the winner of the Cavaliers-Pistons series. The obvious advantage is rest, but the bigger benefit is clarity — New York got through without needing extra games, extra minutes, or extra stress in the closeout. In May, that matters almost as much as talent. (nbcnewyork.com) ### Why did this feel bigger than one game? Because it looked like a team leveling up in public. Last year’s conference-finals trip proved the Knicks belonged. This one suggests they expect to be there. When a team ties a playoff three-point record, drops a franchise playoff-record 144 points, and does it in an elimination game on the road, that’s not just advancement — that’s a warning. (nbcnewyork.com) ### Bottom line? The Knicks didn’t sneak through. They steamrolled through. And now the East finals run feels less like a nice repeat and more like the thing New York thinks it should be doing every spring. (sports.yahoo.com)