Knicks complete 4-0 sweep of 76ers to reach Eastern Conference finals

The Knicks didn’t just finish off the 76ers — they detonated the series. New York won Game 4, 144-114, on Sunday, May 10, in Philadelphia and closed the second round with a 4-0 sweep. That gets the Knicks back to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year, which is the real headline. But the way they did it matters too — this looked less like a close playoff series and more like a team hitting its sharpest version at exactly the right time. ### Why did this feel so decisive? Because the scoreline was absurd for a second-round game. New York put up 144 points on the road and tied the NBA postseason record with 25 made 3-pointers. That’s not a grind-it-out closeout. That’s a team getting every clean look it wants and then burying almost all of them. Philadelphia never really turned it into the kind of ugly, physical game that might have extended the series. (cbssports.com) ### Who drove it for New York? Jalen Brunson was the engine again, but this was bigger than one hot scorer. Josh Hart was right there, and the whole Knicks offense kept stretching the floor until the Sixers’ defense broke. That’s been the shape of the series from the start — Brunson organizes everything, the wings punish mistakes, and New York’s shot quality keeps getting cleaner as games go on. Game 1 was already a 137-98 statement. (cbssports.com) Game 4 was the loudest version yet. ### Was this series ever really in doubt? Not after Game 2, and maybe not even after Game 1. The opener was a blowout. Game 2 was the one swing game — the Knicks survived a back-and-forth finish and went up 2-0. Then Game 3 in Philadelphia ended with the same pattern: Brunson controlling late, the Knicks defending the fourth quarter hard, and the Sixers running out of answers. By the time Sunday arrived, New York had won six straight playoff games. (cbssports.com) After Game 4, that streak reached seven. ### What changed from the regular season? The Knicks look faster, cleaner, and way more certain about who they are. In the regular season they finished 53-29, good but not dominant. In the playoffs, the edges have gotten sharper — quicker decisions, better spacing, and a defense that keeps squeezing games late even when the offense gets most of the attention. Basically, the postseason version of New York looks more complete than the one people saw in January and February. (nba.com) ### Why is the 25-threes stat such a big deal? Because it tells you this wasn’t just “the Knicks wanted it more.” They solved Philadelphia structurally. When a team ties a postseason record from deep, it usually means the defense is getting bent in multiple directions at once — help rotations late, closeouts short, matchups scrambled. It’s like trying to plug one leak in a roof while five more open up. The Sixers weren’t just beaten. (espn.com) They were stretched until the whole scheme gave way. ### What does this mean for Philadelphia? It means another offseason starts with the same hard question: what exactly is the championship version of this roster supposed to look like around Joel Embiid? A sweep makes everything feel harsher. Embiid’s health, the supporting cast, the ceiling of the group under playoff pressure — all of that comes back onto the table now. Losing is one thing. Getting run off the floor in four straight is different. (cbssports.com) ### Who’s under more pressure now? Oddly, both teams — but in very different ways. Philadelphia gets the uncomfortable summer. New York gets the good pressure. A second straight trip to the East finals means the Knicks are past the “nice story” phase. They’ve built something real, and a sweep like this raises the standard from competitive to contender. (cbssports.com) The bottom line is simple: New York didn’t just advance. The Knicks announced that this run might be bigger than a run. Philadelphia, meanwhile, heads into summer with fewer excuses and more questions than ever. (nba.com)