Knicks sweep 76ers 4-0

The New York Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference finals after finishing a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, May 10, with a 144-114 win in Philadelphia. NBA.com’s playoff bracket lists New York, the No. 3 seed in the East, as the winner of the semifinal series over the No. 7-seeded 76ers, with game scores of 137-98, 108-102, 108-94 and 144-114. The result sent New York to the conference finals for the second straight season. The Knicks will open the next round at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Game 1 set for Tuesday, May 19, at 8 p.m. Eastern, according to the NBA’s official playoff schedule. ### How decisive was the series? NBA.com’s series page shows New York averaging 124.3 points to Philadelphia’s 102.0 across the four games. (nba.com) The same page lists Jalen Brunson as the series scoring leader for the Knicks at 29.0 points per game, while Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers at 18.3. Game results posted by the league show the Knicks never trailed in the series count after taking Game 1 at Madison Square Garden on May 4. (nba.com) The margin in the opener was 39 points, and the clincher in Philadelphia was another 30-point win. ### What happened in the clinching game in Philadelphia? Sunday’s Game 4 turned into New York’s highest-scoring game of the series. (nba.com) NBA.com’s game summary said the Knicks hit 25 3-pointers, tying the NBA postseason record, in the 144-114 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Deuce McBride scored 25 points after moving into the starting lineup for injured forward OG Anunoby, according to the NBA.com recap. (nba.com) Brunson scored 22 points, while Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 each. Karl-Anthony Towns told NBA.com after the game that the sweep reflected New York’s focus. “It’s just us being very locked in to the moment,” Towns said. Coach Mike Brown said the Knicks “tried to take it to another level with their focus on the details and their energy and effort level.” (nba.com) ### Which players set the tone for New York? Jalen Brunson’s 29.0 points and 6.0 assists per game led the Knicks across the series, according to NBA.com’s series leaders. (nba.com) The Knicks also got broad scoring support in the clincher, with McBride, Hart and Towns all finishing in double figures. The Game 4 recap also noted that McBride made seven 3-pointers and that New York opened with 11 3s in the first quarter. (nba.com) That shooting outburst helped the Knicks pull away early and remove any path back into the game for Philadelphia. ### What does the bracket show about New York’s path? The NBA’s playoff schedule page lists New York as the winner of the East semifinal in four games and Cleveland as the East finalist from the other semifinal. (nba.com) Cleveland reached the round by beating Detroit in seven games. That difference in series length means the Knicks enter the next round after a week without a game, while Cleveland advanced through a longer semifinal. (nba.com) The league schedule does not assign meaning to that gap, but it does show New York had no Games 5, 6 or 7 to play after May 10. ### When and where is the next series? The NBA’s official conference-finals calendar lists Game 1 as Cleveland at New York on Tuesday, May 19, followed by Game 2 in New York on Thursday, May 21. (nba.com) Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for Saturday, May 23, and Monday, May 25, in Cleveland. If the series goes longer, the NBA lists Game 5 for May 27 in New York, Game 6 for May 29 in Cleveland and Game 7 for May 31 in New York. (nba.com) The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 3.