Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ series-clinching 144-114 Game 4 win over the 76ers on Sunday in Philly.

Hero

Miles McBride set the tone, hitting four consecutive 3-pointers in the opening minutes, as the Knicks opened up a big early lead. McBride, starting in place of injured star wing OG Anunoby, snapped out his recent shooting funk by hitting seven 3-pointers on nine attempts and finishing with a playoff career-high 25 points. In his 29 minutes, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by a whopping 33 points. 

Zero

After his vanishing act in Game 3, Paul George wasn’t much better on Sunday. He was held to seven points and a minus-35 rating over 27 ineffective minutes. The perennial All-Star was overwhelmed by the Knicks on the perimeter, even without Anunoby the last two games. 

Unsung hero

Karl-Anthony Towns, point center, is working better than anyone could’ve anticipated. He turned in another strong all-around performance, tallying 17 points, 10 assists and two blocks. In 10 playoff games, Towns has 66 assists – 40 more than he managed a year ago in the postseason. 

Key stat

25 – Made 3-pointers by the Knicks, a franchise postseason record. It also equaled an NBA playoff record, set by the Bucks (2021) and Cavaliers (2016). 

Quote of the day

“I used to think Philly was a sports town. I don’t know if it is anymore,”

— Josh Hart on the Knicks fans’ takeover of Xfinity Mobile Arena.