Miles McBride knocked down 7 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc, scoring 25 points, while Jalen Brunson added 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range as the New York Knicks overwhelmed the Philadelphia 76ers 144-114 in Game 4 on Sunday, completing a sweep of their second-round playoff series.
Josh Hart contributed 17 points and Landry Shamet added 12, each sinking four triples for New York. The Knicks started the game by hitting 11 of their first 12 3-pointers and went on to tie NBA playoff records for most 3-pointers in a quarter (11), a half (18), and a game (25).
Karl-Anthony Towns registered 17 points and 10 assists for the third-seeded Knicks, who shot 56.8% from deep (25 of 44) to secure a second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference finals. New York will face either the top-seeded Detroit Pistons or the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers for a spot in the NBA Finals.
The offensive explosion came even with second-leading scorer OG Anunoby sidelined due to a hamstring injury for the second straight game.
The seventh-seeded 76ers again had Joel Embiid, who has been frequently injured, available for a second consecutive contest. He scored 24 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting, but it made little difference in the lopsided outcome. Tyrese Maxey added 17 points for Philadelphia, which trailed by double digits for the final 43 minutes.
New York burst out of the gate with 3-pointers from Brunson and Hart in the opening three minutes. Shortly after, McBride connected on four 3-pointers in less than 90 seconds, quickly pushing the lead to 20-6.
Even when the Sixers trimmed the margin to 11, Brunson responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to restore a 35-18 advantage. Shamet then came off the bench and drained two more triples later in the quarter, giving New York a 43-24 lead after the first period.
Early in the second quarter, Shamet, Towns, and McBride each hit from long range, extending the lead to 59-32. The Knicks missed their next five 3-point attempts, but Brunson and Hart connected on consecutive triples to regain their rhythm.
In the final minute of the half, McBride’s sixth 3-pointer pushed the score to 78-52, and Hart added another to send the visitors into the locker room ahead 81-57.
Midway through the third quarter, McBride’s final 3-pointer stretched the lead to 30 for the first time. New York built a 122-83 advantage after three quarters and coasted to the finish.
–Field Level Media
