Dean Koutouratsas
AMNY.com
The New York Knicks only needed one more victory to seal their first series sweep against the Philadelphia 76ers since 1999.
New York earned that victory — and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals — thanks to an explosion of shooting from the three-point line, which allowed them to tie an 11-year-old playoff record for the number of three-pointers made in a single game.
The Knicks made 25 of their 42 three-point attempts, coming just one away from breaking the record set by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, a team that would go on to win the NBA championship.
New York hasn’t reached that point yet, but thanks to a resounding 144-114 victory over the 76ers this Sunday at the
In the absence of OG Anunoby, Miles McBride stepped up to take his place, scoring 25 points and making seven three-pointers.
After registering 33 points in the third game, Jalen Brunson added 22 points and six triples in this game. Karl-Anthony Towns remained formidable, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges completed the starting quintet, contributing 17 and 12 points, respectively.
New York’s defense made that same 76ers team — able to come back from a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Celtics — look like a shadow of its true self. Former league MVP Joel Embiid was limited to 24 points and five assists, while fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey scored just 17 points.
The Knicks took the lead immediately, with Brunson and Hart hitting the first two 3-pointers. McBride showed himself with the hot hand, scoring 12 points after converting four consecutive long-distance shots.
With Brunson and Landry Shamet each making a pair of 3-pointers, New York closed the first 12 minutes 10 of 11 from the perimeter. This dazzling shooting performance put the visiting team with a 19-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
The trend continued in the second quarter, which began with Shamet making his third triple. Towns and McBride cleanly hit their second and fifth three-pointers, respectively, extending the Knicks’ lead to 20 points.
As the 76ers began to show some ability to react, Brunson and Hart responded with three-pointers on the other end of the court.
And before the first half ended, McBride hit his sixth 3-pointer, raising his career tally to 20 points. Hart’s triple broke the record for most triples scored in a single half, reaching the figure of 18; At halftime, New York was 18 of 29 in long-distance shooting and left with a 24-point lead.
Bridges and Towns started the third quarter with four points, while Brunson assisted Mitchell Robinson for a spectacular alley-oop dunk.
Brunson drove to the basket for a reverse layup before hitting his sixth 3-pointer. Hart scored another shot from beyond the arc, while McBride converted the seventh of his own. A three-pointer by Shamet put the final touch on the semifinal series before the fourth quarter even began.
With the 76ers already out of contention, the Knicks await the winner of the series between the Pistons and the Cavaliers to meet their rival in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons, ranked first, lead the series 2-1 and could lead to a rematch of last year’s “playoffs” against New York if they manage to win two more games.
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