NBA playoffs: Knicks crush the 76ers 137-98 to start the second round

Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half and the New York Knicks emphatically added to a historic postseason roll by overwhelming the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to win three straight postseason games by at least 25 points, continuing a wave that began midway through the first round against Atlanta by shooting 63% from the field and leading by 40 points. OG Anunoby added 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges both had 17, with Towns adding six rebounds and six assists in just 20 minutes.

After trailing 2-1 against Atlanta, the Knicks have won four straight games by a total of 135 points. They are the first team since detailed play-by-play began in 1996-97 to lead three straight playoff games by at least 30 points, according to Sportradar. Game 2 is Wednesday night before the series shifts to Philadelphia - with Joel Embiid already pleading with 76ers fans not to sell their tickets to Knicks fans when it does.

But the 76ers didn't exactly give their fans much reason to want to keep them Monday. Paul George scored 17 points for Philadelphia. Embiid shot just 3 for 11 for his 14 points and Tyrese Maxey had just 13, not making his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter.

The 76ers had just one full day off after winning in Boston on Saturday night to complete the NBA's 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit. But they looked more like the team that lost twice by 32 points in the first four games to fall into that deficit. The Knicks had a much easier first round - and finished it with one of the easiest games in NBA playoff history.