The Knicks sweep the Sixers and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals

The New York Knicks return for the second consecutive year to the Eastern Conference Finals. They did it with a historic display, crushing the Philadelphia 76ers 144-114 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, closing the series with an undeniable sweep that confirmed New Yorkers as one of the top contenders for the title.

However, the big celebration did not come from the visiting bench, but from the stands. Thousands of Knicks fans once again took over the opponent's court and turned the Philadelphia arena into an extension of Madison Square Garden. The scene did not go unnoticed by Josh Hart, who took a direct jab at the home crowd after the game.

"I used to think Philadelphia was a sports city. I don't know if it is anymore," the forward stated. "Everyone was begging Philly fans not to sell their tickets. It never felt like an away game."

The scene was particularly tough for Tyrese Maxey, who had to endure his own arena roaring louder for the visiting team. "It's terrible, just terrible," the guard admitted. "There's only one way to avoid it: win these games. It sounded louder here for them than in the Garden."

All settled by halftime

The series was practically settled by halftime. The Knicks delivered a devastating first half with 18 three-pointers, equaling the NBA's historical record for one half—regular season or playoffs—and went into the break with a 24-point lead.

It was another surgical closure of a series, just like the one they had completed ten days earlier in Atlanta against the Hawks. But unlike the excitement sparked last year by the unexpected elimination of the then-champions Boston Celtics, this time the reaction was much more subdued.

"There was no relief or excitement. It's just another step in the process," Hart explained. "The series against Boston last year was different because of the comebacks and all that. This is business. We have to stay focused."

This same idea was reinforced by Jalen Brunson, the team's great leader. "We're focused. We have to maintain that attention to detail and intensity," the guard affirmed.

Brunson once again put on a brilliant performance with 22 points and six three-pointers, completing a very solid series in which he averaged 29 points and clearly outshone Maxey in the individual duel.

Alongside him, Karl-Anthony Towns once again demonstrated why he is a pivotal piece. The center dominated his matchup with Joel Embiid despite dealing with foul trouble throughout the series. He averaged 7.5 assists from the center position without exceeding 30 minutes in any of the four games.

"This year we're much more focused," Towns assured. "Last year, when we beat Boston, there was a lot of excitement. Now we know there's still a lot of work to be done."

The team's collective growth has been the big news for Tom Thibodeau. Since the fourth game against Atlanta, ball movement has transformed the Knicks into an almost unstoppable offensive machine.

The 144 points scored against Philadelphia mark the franchise's highest scoring in playoffs, while the 11 three-pointers made in the first quarter equaled another historical postseason record.

Additionally, New York presents a +19.4 points per game differential in these playoffs, the best of any team reaching conference finals since the current format was established in 1984.

The break comes at the perfect time for the Knicks. They will have at least a week before starting the Eastern finals, a crucial time to physically recover several injured players and, especially, for OG Anunoby to advance in his muscular injury recovery suffered in the second game of the series.

Meanwhile, players like Miles McBride, who filled in for the forward spot and made seven three-pointers, would prefer to keep playing to maintain the rhythm.

Nevertheless, the internal message in the locker room is clear. "People outside have their expectations, but we have ours," McBride explained. "Our goal is the championship, nothing less. This series is over, we enjoyed it, but there's still a lot to do."

The Knicks now await their opponent between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, with an increasingly evident feeling that this group no longer celebrates reaching far.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Knicks barren a los Sixers y se meten en las Finales del Este