Knicks take 3-0 semifinal lead with Game 3 win over 76ers

The Knicks are one win from the Eastern Conference finals, and that’s the real news here. New York beat Philadelphia 108-94 on Friday, May 8, taking a 3-0 lead in the second-round series and turning what looked competitive on paper into something much harsher in practice. The 76ers kept making runs. The Knicks kept shutting the door. That’s how a close series becomes a near-sweep. ### What actually happened in Game 3? New York won with the formula it has leaned on all postseason — Jalen Brunson creating late, everyone else doing the dirty work, and the defense surviving the stretches where the offense bogs down. Brunson finished with 33 points, and the Knicks closed better than the 76ers in the moments that mattered. Philadelphia had home court, urgency, and multiple chances to make this a fourth-quarter coin flip. (nba.com) It still lost by 14. ### Why does 14 points feel bigger? Because the game underneath the score was even more revealing. The Knicks won rebounds 49-33 and grabbed 13 offensive boards, which basically meant Philadelphia had to defend the same possession twice all night. New York also outscored the 76ers at the foul line, 23 made free throws to 13. That is the playoff version of getting leaned on — not one dramatic knockout, just repeated extra possessions until the other team runs out of air. (nba.com) ### Was this only a Brunson game? Not really. Brunson was the closer, but the shape of the win was collective. The Knicks got 25 assists, scored 52 points in the paint, and kept enough balance around Brunson that Philadelphia couldn’t just load up on one option. That matters because a 3-0 lead built on one hot scorer can feel fragile. A 3-0 lead built on rebounding, paint pressure, and repeatable half-court execution feels much more real. (espn.com) ### So what went wrong for Philadelphia? The 76ers never fully controlled the game even when momentum tilted their way. They shot 43% from the field and 28% from 3, which is survivable if you dominate the margins. They didn’t. The rebounding gap hurt, the free-throw gap hurt, and the Knicks led for most of the night. Philadelphia kept threatening a swing, but every comeback had the same problem — it needed a second punch that never really arrived. (espn.com) ### Why is 3-0 such a big deal? Because in NBA playoff history, 3-0 is basically the series-ending score even before the handshake line. The tactical questions start shrinking and the emotional ones get louder. Can the trailing team summon one huge game at home? Sure. Can it do that four times in a row against the team that has controlled the series’ identity? That’s the hard part. New York now gets to play with freedom. (espn.com) Philadelphia has to play with perfection. ### Are the Knicks now the East favorite? Pretty close to it — and in some markets, fully there. ESPN’s betting snapshot this week listed New York at minus money to win the Eastern Conference and with shorter title odds than every East team except the overall-favorite Thunder in the West-heavy championship market. BetMGM also had the Knicks as East favorites. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it shows how fast this has shifted from “dangerous team” to “pathway opening.” (nba.com) ### What should matter in Game 4? Whether Philadelphia can change the possession battle. The Knicks do not need a perfect shooting night if they keep owning rebounds and forcing the 76ers to defend through contact. If that part stays the same, Game 4 starts to look less like a rescue mission for Philadelphia and more like a formality for New York. (espn.com) ### Bottom line The score was 108-94, but the bigger message was control. New York has the best player in the series right now, the sturdier habits, and a 3-0 lead. At this point, the question is not whether the Knicks can win this matchup. It’s whether Philadelphia can make them come back for another trip. (espn.com)