Instant observations: Sixers submit another season-ending embarrassment in Game 4 loss to Knicks
May 10, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The Sixers added another embarrassing chapter to their book of playoff failures, sitting down and quitting in a 144-114 loss that featured garbage time for the entire fourth quarter. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George all got a courtside seat as Knicks backups got a cardio run in on their way to another Conference Finals appearance.
Here’s what I saw. Top-to-bottom embarrassment The Sixers have spent a lot of this season telling anyone who would listen how close this team was, how resilient the locker room is, and that they wanted to spend this season setting a nightly standard that Philadelphia can be proud of. Maxey’s media day speech on the matter has been used in TV ads for the team all year long, highlighting what was supposed to be their rallying cry.
They ended their season with their home arena being taken over by the visiting team’s fans as the team got absolutely blitzed on the defensive end. Not sure what “the standard” is worth if it doesn’t show up with your season on the line in the second round. Joel Embiid was the easy target in this series, literally and figuratively, with the Knicks testing his mobility at every possible opportunity.
I would certainly argue that his limitations were the most impactful in this series, because they made it nearly impossible for the Sixers to put together a game plan that would consistently bother New York. Sitting in drop allowed Jalen Brunson to walk into easy pull-up looks, playing high almost guaranteed that he wouldn’t get back to the paint, and he had no rhythm trying to play roamer off of Josh Hart, losing runners on rebounds while trying to avoid thinking too much about his ailing body. I think he probably has the least to hang his head about on the effort front, because the want to was still there despite his body having very little to offer.
He was a set-up man for a lot of the first half, shooting a perfect 6/6 from the field while spending a lot of his time popping out to the three-point line and setting screens, content to let other guys launch away as pressure swarmed middle. But the lack of explosiveness is what it is, and he had a rough moment where his leg nearly gave out on a completely uncontested drive to the rim in the first half. All the scoring in the world isn’t enough for this team — Embiid had 24 points on 8/8 from the field early in the third quarter, and the Sixers were down by 29 points.
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