The New York Knicks delivered a historic shooting display to overpower the Philadelphia 76ers 144-114 on Sunday, sealing a dominant sweep in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals. On the same night, the Minnesota Timberwolves fought back to level their Western Conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs with a narrow 114-109 victory.
New York’s offensive explosion was driven by a remarkable performance from beyond the arc. The Knicks tied the NBA playoff record with 25 three-pointers, including 11 in the opening quarter and 18 by halftime, completely overwhelming Philadelphia on its home court.
The victory completed a 4-0 sweep for the Knicks, who have now won seven straight playoff games and reached the conference finals for the second consecutive season. They will next face either the Detroit Pistons or the Cleveland Cavaliers for a place in the NBA Finals.
Miles McBride led the scoring with 25 points, hitting seven three-pointers, while Jalen Brunson added 22 points, including six shots from long range. Despite missing forward OG Anunoby for a second straight game due to a hamstring injury, six Knicks players finished in double figures.
The Knicks stormed to a 43-point first quarter and took an 81-57 lead into halftime, effectively ending the contest before the final two quarters. The lead eventually stretched to 44 points, allowing New York to rest its starters late in the game.
For Philadelphia, Joel Embiid battled through hip and ankle injuries to score 24 points on a flawless shooting night, while Tyrese Maxey added 17. However, the 76ers once again fell short of reaching the conference finals, extending a drought that dates back to 2001.
“Quite frankly, New York, they were just better than us in everything,” Embiid admitted after the defeat.
In Minneapolis, Anthony Edwards produced another star performance with 36 points as Minnesota edged San Antonio in a tense battle filled with momentum swings.
The game changed dramatically early in the second quarter when Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama was ejected for elbowing Naz Reid in the jaw. It marked the first ejection of Wembanyama’s NBA career.
Even without their defensive centerpiece, San Antonio remained competitive behind 24 points each from De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper. Stephon Castle chipped in with 20 as the Spurs briefly led midway through the fourth quarter.
Minnesota responded late through key plays from Rudy Gobert and Edwards to close out the win and level the series at 2-2, ensuring the matchup will return to Minneapolis for a sixth game later in the week.
