Knicks take 3-0 lead, 108-94 vs 76ers

The Knicks are not just winning this series. They’re shrinking it. New York beat Philadelphia 108-94 on Friday, took a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and turned what looked like a real matchup into something close to cleanup duty. Jalen Brunson had 33 points, Mikal Bridges added 23, and the game kept bending toward the same answer — the Knicks had more control, more counters, and way more margin for error. ### Why did this feel over early? Because New York kept stacking winning plays even when the score was still within reach. Philadelphia had a few bursts early, but the Knicks owned the glass, got extra possessions, and never let the Sixers turn a quick run into an actual swing. That’s the part that breaks a team’s rhythm — you defend one action, and then the possession just keeps going. (nba.com) ### What did Brunson actually do? Brunson was the closer and the stabilizer. He finished with 33, but the bigger thing was timing. Whenever Philadelphia threatened to make the night tense, Brunson got New York back into clean offense and then buried late buckets that shut the door. This is the version of him that makes the Knicks feel much bigger than one hot streak — he controls pace, not just scoring. (nba.com) ### Was it only Brunson? No — and that’s why this is getting scary for Philly. Bridges had 23, and New York’s supporting pieces kept doing the dirty work that decides playoff games. Offensive rebounds, second chances, physical defense, and enough shot-making around Brunson that Philadelphia couldn’t load up on one guy. The Knicks didn’t need a miracle quarter. They just kept leaning on the same advantages. (nba.com) ### What went wrong for the Sixers? The offense dried up. Philadelphia flashed some life early, but it couldn’t sustain pressure on New York’s defense, and the half-court possessions got uglier as the game went on. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 22, Tyrese Maxey had 17, but that’s not enough when the other team is getting more bites at the apple and your own attack keeps stalling. (nytimes.com) ### Did Embiid change the equation? He returned, which mattered emotionally and physically, but he didn’t flip the series. That’s the catch for Philadelphia now — getting Joel Embiid back is not the same as getting peak Embiid back, and even peak Embiid wouldn’t solve every rebounding and execution issue by himself. New York looked more connected on both ends, and that gap showed up over and over. (nbcsports.com) ### How bad is 3-0, really? Basically fatal. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit, and this one looks especially steep because the Knicks have already won twice in New York and now once in Philadelphia. So the Sixers don’t just need four straight wins — they need four straight wins against a team that has looked sturdier in every version of the series. (freep.com) ### What happens next? Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia. That gives the Sixers one last chance to make this a series and force New York to think again. But the pressure is almost entirely on Philly now. The Knicks are one win from the Eastern Conference finals, and they got there by making this series feel simple — defend, rebound, trust Brunson, repeat. (nba.com) ### Bottom line? The Knicks didn’t steal this game. They imposed it. And once a playoff series starts feeling that predictable, it usually means one team is about to end it. (ny1.com)