New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are heading back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Mike Brown’s team made light work of the Philadelphia 76ers, sweeping them in four games. The final win came on Sunday, May 10, with the Knicks securing an impressive 144-114 dub over Philadelphia.

When speaking to the media after the game, Sixers’ head coach Nick Nurse was gracious in defeat, admitting the Knicks had been the better team throughout the series.

“Listen, we got beat by a really good team that’s better than us tonight,” Nurse said. “I mean, I think nobody wants to lose the way we did tonight without doubt, right? Nobody wants it to end that way. But, you know, our team went through a lot of ups and downs, and I think we hung in there really well for the season, and a lot of good things happened.”

When a team is swept in a postseason series, it’s clear that their opponents were the better roster. The Knicks found multiple gaps in Philadelphia’s defense throughout the four games, making the most of every advantage.

Mike Brown’s team ended Sunday’s game with six players securing double-digit scoring nights. His “we before me” coaching style is clearly clicking at the perfect time.

Mike Brown Matches Tom Thibodeau’s Achievement

When the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last summer, it came on the back of a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, where New York lost to the Indiana Pacers. When Mike Brown was hired, it was widely viewed as a difficult job, as he would need to at least match what Thibodeau had achieved during the postseason.

Mission accomplished.

Now, Brown’s focus will shift to navigating the conference finals and taking the Knicks to the NBA Finals, where an undoubtedly difficult matchup will await them. Nevertheless, Brown has likely removed some of the pressure on his shoulders by matching Thibodeau’s success from last season.

It can’t have been easy dealing with those expectations and the lingering shadow of Thibodeau’s past hanging over him.

Joel Embiid Also Admits Knicks Were Better

During his own postgame news conference, Joel Embiid mirrored Nurse’s comments, admitting the Knicks were the better team throughout the series.

“I mean, they were just better,” Embiid admitted. “They made shots. I’m proud of this group. I feel like we play hard. We try as we’ve done all season. And, you know, at times it’s okay to say that the other team was just better tonight. And they were. They made every shot. They made every single play; we didn’t make shots. So yeah, just gotta get better from top to bottom. Ownership, as a front office, players, coaches, everybody just gotta get better.”

The Knicks are now one series away from the NBA Finals. They’ve got to continue playing with the sense of urgency we saw from them against the Sixers.

Brown’s team has proven they can perform at an elite level; now the question becomes whether they can do it on one of the biggest stages the NBA has to offer.