By Oliver Carter
The New York Knicks took down the Philadelphia 76ers 144–114 to sweep their Eastern Conference second-round matchup 4–0.
The game took place in Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia on Sunday evening.
Story of the game
After dominating the first three games of the series, the Knicks felt confident they could sweep the 76ers and cruise into the Eastern Conference Finals.
They carried this confidence into the first quarter and built a massive early lead. Led by Jalen Brunson, the Knicks blew out the first quarter 43–24.
New York continued to pile on the pressure in the second quarter, heading into halftime leading 81–57.
The Knicks never relented, maintaining their dominance into the second half and pushing their lead to a 39 point margin by the end of the third quarter, before hitting a game high scoring stretch early in the fourth.
After extending the lead beyond 40 points, both teams subbed out their starters and turned to their bench rotations, knowing the result was already decided.
In the end, the 76ers’ bench narrowed the deficit slightly, with the game finishing 144–114.
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Standout scorers
Despite such a high scoring game, no player on either team finished with more than 25 points.
Miles McBride of the Knicks led all scorers with 25 points on 70 percent shooting from the field. Jalen Brunson added 22 points and six assists, including a burst where he scored five points in 10 seconds.
Joel Embiid did his best to keep the 76ers competitive, finishing with 24 points, the highest on his team. He shot efficiently from the field, making 8 of 8 field goals, including both three point attempts, and missing only one free throw.
Karl Anthony Towns also contributed 17 points, 10 assists and two blocks in just 20 minutes for New York.
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What comes next?
Next for the Knicks is a second consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals against either the Detroit Pistons or the Cleveland Cavaliers.
New York has been dominant throughout the playoffs, losing just two games, both by a single point.
The Knicks have surged up the championship odds, now among the favourites to come out of the Eastern Conference and sitting third overall in title odds behind the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 76ers, meanwhile, will have to reassess their roster after a heavy second round defeat.
Many fans are already questioning whether this loss signals the end of Joel Embiid’s time in Philadelphia.
With young guard Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe forming an exciting backcourt duo nicknamed “VJ Maxx”, the 76ers may consider reshaping the roster around their younger core and accelerating a rebuild.
All eyes in the Eastern Conference now turn to the battle between the Pistons and the Cavaliers, while the Knicks rest, recover, and prepare for their next challenge.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan