New York Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA after securing their fourth consecutive victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, defeating them 144-114 on Sunday in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves forced a 2-2 series tie against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals with a 114-109 victory in Minnesota.In the first match, the Knicks equaled the playoff record for three-pointers made in a single game with 25 threes against the 76ers. They imposed their offensive rhythm from the opening moments, equaling the record for the most three-pointers in a first quarter with 11 successful shots, before increasing their total to 18 threes by halftime.With this win — their seventh consecutive playoff victory — the Knicks comfortably swept the series 4-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The team that first wins four games out of a possible seven advances to the next round.This marks the second consecutive season the Knicks have reached the Eastern Conference Finals. They will next face the winner of the ongoing series between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers (currently 2-1) as they aim to reach the NBA Finals. Knicks star Jalen Brunson said after the game: “We’re taking it one game at a time.” He added: “I don’t think we’ve accomplished our mission yet. There’s still a lot of work to do, and we need to be better focused in the next stage.”Six Knicks players scored in double figures, successfully compensating for the absence of their star teammate, British forward OG Anunoby, who missed his second consecutive game due to a strained hamstring. The Knicks started the game strongly, scoring 43 points in the first quarter and never giving their opponents room to breathe. During a timeout, 76ers coach Nick Nurse tried to boost his players’ morale, urging them to stay positive and “play with more fight,” but the team appeared unable to find solutions. The home crowd turned into a negative factor as loud Knicks fans made their strong presence felt throughout the arena. The game slipped away from the 76ers after the Knicks led 81-57 at halftime, later extending their lead to a 44-point margin in the fourth quarter.Despite suffering from hip and ankle injuries following appendectomy surgery in April, Joel Embiid performed well offensively. He made all 8 of his field goal attempts plus 6-of-7 free throws, finishing as the 76ers’ leading scorer with 24 points. Tyrese Maxey added 17 points. The 76ers, who had pulled off a major upset by eliminating Boston Celtics in the first round, once again failed to advance past the second round — a feat they have not achieved since 2001.Embiid commented: “Honestly, New York was better than us in every aspect.”Timberwolves ignite their series against SpursIn Minneapolis, the Timberwolves reset their series against the Spurs, winning 114-109 in a late comeback. Star Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in a thrilling fourth quarter. French center Rudy Gobert scored 3 points and gave Minnesota the lead (103-101) with three minutes remaining, before Anthony Edwards’ teammate (likely a typo in original; context suggests another player) extended the lead to 110-103, helping secure the victory. Neither team led by more than 9 points at any stage.The Spurs played most of the game without their French star Victor Wembanyama, who was ejected in the early second quarter for throwing an elbow at Naz Reid’s jaw. After a scramble for an offensive rebound, Wembanyama turned and struck Reid with his elbow, causing the Minnesota player to fall. Despite the ejection, the Spurs stayed competitive with 24 points each from De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, and 20 from Stephon Castle. They even took a 94-86 lead with under 9 minutes left.Edwards said: “When Wemby got ejected, we thought things would get easy.” He added: “But those guys are tough even without him, so we had to play with real seriousness. I felt I had to step up and lead the team to victory.”Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday in San Antonio, with Game 6 back in Minnesota on Friday, and a potential Game 7 in San Antonio on Sunday.