The New York Knicks secured a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs with a dominant 144-114 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Minnesota Timberwolves evened their Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2 with a hard-fought win over the San Antonio Spurs.
In the first game, the Knicks tied the playoff record by sinking 25 three-pointers against the 76ers. They set the tone from the opening minutes, matching the record for most three-pointers in a single quarter with 11 successful shots in the first period, before increasing their total to 18 by halftime.
With their seventh consecutive playoff win, the Knicks completed a 4-0 sweep of the semifinal series. This marks the second straight year New York has reached the conference finals, where they will face the winner between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers (currently 2-1 in favor of Detroit) as they aim for an NBA Finals berth.
Miles McBride led the way for the Knicks with seven three-pointers and 25 points, while Jalen Brunson added six triples for 22 points.
In the second game, the Timberwolves bounced back to level their series against the Spurs with a 114-109 victory. San Antonio played most of the game without star center Victor Wembanyama, who was ejected in the second quarter after elbowing Naz Reid in the jaw.