The New York Knicks unleashed a ruthless three-point barrage to dismantle Philadelphia 144-114 on Sunday, advancing to the NBA Eastern Conference finals as Minnesota edged San Antonio to level their Western Conference semifinal series.
New York tied the NBA playoff record with 25 three-pointers, opening with 11 in the first quarter and matching another postseason mark with 18 before halftime in a dominant shooting display.
The victory completed a 4-0 sweep of the 76ers and extended the Knicks’ winning streak in these playoffs to seven games.
In the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves earned a 114-109 win over the Spurs to tie the series 2-2, pulling away late against a San Antonio team that played most of the game without Victor Wembanyama.
The French star was ejected early in the second quarter after striking Naz Reid in the jaw with an elbow.
The Knicks reached the conference finals for the second straight year and will face either top-seeded Detroit or fourth-seeded Cleveland for a place in the NBA Finals.
“One game at a time,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said after New York won on the road for a second straight game.
“I think we still have a lot of work to do and our focus needs to be better,” he said.
Miles McBride hit seven 3-pointers en route to a game-high 25 points, while Brunson made six from beyond the arc in scoring 22.
Six Knicks players scored in double figures, and the team was without forward OG Anunoby for a second straight game because of a hamstring strain.
With the series on the line, New York surged to a 43-point first quarter.
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse urged his team during a timeout to stay positive and “play harder.”
But with Xfinity Mobile Arena overtaken by a large contingent of Knicks fans, the 76ers found no response.
By halftime, New York led 81-57, effectively putting the game away, and extended the margin to as many as 44 points before resting starters in the fourth quarter.
Joel Embiid, playing through hip and ankle injuries that followed his April appendectomy, hit all eight of his shots and six of seven free throws to lead Philadelphia with 24 points.
Tyrese Maxey added 17, but the 76ers, who upset the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round, have not advanced beyond the second round since 2001.
“Quite frankly, New York, they were just better than us in everything,” Embiid said.
In Minneapolis, Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in a frantic fourth quarter that featured five lead changes.
Rudy Gobert completed a three-point play that gave Minnesota a 103-101 lead with 3:02 remaining, and Ayo Dosunmu added another three-point play to stretch the advantage to 110-103 as the Timberwolves closed out a tightly contested win in a game in which neither team led by more than nine points.
Defensive Player of the Year Wembanyama was ejected for the first time in his NBA career early in the second quarter.
After an offensive rebound, he turned toward Reid and swung his elbow, sending the Minnesota forward to the floor.
Despite the loss of their star, the Spurs stayed competitive, with De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper scoring 24 points apiece and Stephon Castle adding 20 as San Antonio led 94-86 with 8:51 remaining.
“When Wemby got thrown out of the game, we came out thinking it was going to be easy,” Edwards said.
“But those guys are really good even without Wemby. So we just had to play hard, and I had to take it upon myself to try to get us a win.”
Reid finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while McDaniels added 14 for Minnesota, which ensured the series will return to Minneapolis for Game 6 after San Antonio hosts Game 5 on Tuesday.
