Knicks rout 76ers 144-114 sweep

The Knicks didn’t just eliminate the 76ers. They basically detonated the series. New York beat Philadelphia 144-114 on Sunday, May 10, to finish a 4-0 sweep in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the score almost undersells how one-sided the night felt. By the middle of the first quarter, the game had already tilted into avalanche territory. ### Why did this one get out of hand so fast? Because the Knicks came out shooting like a team that wanted no extra drama. They hit 11 threes in the first quarter alone — an NBA postseason record for any quarter — and put up 43 points in the period. Philadelphia never really recovered from that first punch. ### Was it just Brunson again? (apnews.com) Not really — and that’s part of why this is interesting. Jalen Brunson scored 22 points and hit 6 of 10 from deep, but the biggest swing came from the Knicks’ depth. Miles McBride led the team with 25 points and went 7-for-9 from 3, Josh Hart had 17 points and 9 rebounds, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 17 points and 10 assists. That is not “one star carrying everything.” That is a whole offense clicking at once. ### How historic was the shooting? Pretty historic. New York finished 25-for-44 from 3, which tied the NBA playoff record for made threes in a game. The Knicks also set a franchise playoff scoring record with 144 points. When a team shoots 56.8% from deep and still wins the rebounding battle 47-30, the other side is usually cooked. (usatoday.com) ### What went wrong for Philadelphia? The clean version is this — the 76ers could not match the math. Philadelphia shot just 8-for-35 from 3, and every Knicks run seemed to come with another kick-out three or transition look. The Sixers actually scored 54 points in the paint, but that barely mattered because New York kept stacking extra possessions, extra rebounds, and way more efficient perimeter shots. (newsday.com) ### Did the crowd matter? A lot, and in a weird way. The game was in Philadelphia, but reports from the arena described thousands of Knicks fans turning it into something close to a road takeover. By the end, there were “Knicks in four” chants and brooms in the stands. That kind of thing doesn’t change the shot chart, but it absolutely changes the feeling of a closeout game. (foxsports.com) ### So what does this say about the Knicks? It says New York is more dangerous than the old “Brunson and vibes” version. When McBride can explode, Hart can fill every gap, and Towns can function as a scorer and playmaker, the Knicks become much harder to scheme against. The scary part for the next opponent is that this wasn’t a grind-it-out 98-94 win — it was an offensive ceiling game in a playoff setting. (apnews.com) ### What happens next? The Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year, and they’ll face the winner of the Detroit Pistons-Cleveland Cavaliers series. Because the sweep ended early, New York gets a long break — either six or eight days depending on when that other series ends. Rest is good, but the catch is rhythm. Sometimes a team this hot would rather keep playing. (nba.com) ### Bottom line? This was not a survive-and-advance win. It was a statement. The Knicks walked into Philadelphia, tied a playoff 3-point record, posted 144 points, and made the conference finals look like the natural next step instead of a surprise. (apnews.com) (nba.com)