Knicks Complete Sweep And Advance To 2nd Straight Conference Finals

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 10: Miles McBride #2 and Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks celebrate after McBride's 3-pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) Getty Images Even as the New York Knicks struggled for much of this century, they remained a popular franchise, drawing large crowds and generating interest in a basketball-mad city.

That’s not to say those underachieving teams didn’t get criticized. They did. But at least the fans cared.

Now those loyal supporters are rewarded with a team that looks like it could win the Knicks’ first NBA title since 1973. On Sunday afternoon, the Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 144-114 to win their Eastern Conference semifinals series four games to none. The Knicks scored the most points in their playoff history, tied the NBA postseason record with 25 3-pointers and dominated even with star wing OG Anunoby out for the second consecutive game.

While the game was at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena, the crowd was filled with New York fans who took the short trip and celebrated the Knicks’ victory, just as they did in Friday night’s Game 3 victory and two years ago when the Knicks defeated the 76ers in the first round. Before taking the Knicks’ head coaching job last July, Mike Brown said he didn’t realize how well the fans traveled, although he said he understood their passion when he watched on television as they celebrated playoff victories in recent seasons outside Madison Square Garden by climbing light poles. “I was like, ‘Wow,’” Brown told reporters Sunday in his postgame press conference.