New York Knicks sweep Philadelphia 76ers to reach Eastern Conference finals
The New York Knicks have advanced to the Eastern Conference finals after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers with a record-breaking 144-114 Game 4 victory.
Deuce McBride scored 25 points, hitting seven of his team’s 25 three-pointers, as the visitors dominated Sunday’s contest.
Jalen Brunson added 22 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart both contributed 17 in another lopsided triumph.
Historic three-point barrage
The Eastern Conference hopefuls set an NBA postseason record by connecting on 11 three-pointers in a blistering first quarter.
McBride became the first player in franchise playoff history to hit four triples in the opening period.
That early dominance propelled the team to 144 points, marking their highest-ever scoring tally in a playoff fixture.
It also secured their first best-of-seven series sweep since defeating the Atlanta Hawks in the 1999 conference semi-finals.
Brown’s remarkable impact
Mike Brown’s squad have now outscored opponents by 194 points across 10 postseason games.
This unprecedented margin represents the best point-differential in any 10-game span in NBA playoff history.
The sweeping victory also extends the franchise’s longest-ever postseason winning streak to seven consecutive matches.
They will face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Detroit Pistons for a place in the NBA Finals.
Sixers’ misery continues
Philadelphia had arrived full of momentum following a gutsy first-round comeback against the Boston Celtics.
However, despite 24 points from Joel Embiid and 17 from Tyrese Maxey, the hosts were entirely outclassed.
The defeat means the 76ers’ painful wait for a conference finals appearance extends, having failed to progress past the second round since 2001.