New York advances to Eastern Conference finals, Minnesota ties

The New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Eastern Conference finals last night after defeating Philadelphia 144:114 in the fourth game of the playoff semifinals.

The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second year in a row and will play the winner of the Cleveland-Detroit series. The Pistons currently lead 2-1.

The Sixers, on the other hand, haven't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2001.

Mike Brown's team was led by Miles McBride with 25 and Jaylen Brunson with 22 points to lead the series against Philadelphia 4-0. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17 points and had ten assists, while Josh Hart finished the game with 17 points and nine rebounds.

For Philadelphia, Joel Embiid finished another injury-plagued season with 24 points, while Tyrese Maxey scored 17.

The New York Knicks tied the NBA playoff record with 25 three-pointers made in this game. McBride hit seven three-pointers, making four of four in the first quarter.

The Knicks made a total of 18 three-pointers in the first half and ended that part of the game with an 81:57 lead, so the second half was practically a mere formality for the visiting team.

"My guys tried to take the game to the next level with their focus on detail and their level of energy and effort. That's a big part of why we're playing pretty good basketball," Knicks coach Brown said.

Minnesota's basketball team defeated San Antonio 114:109 at home, tying the Western Conference semifinals at 2:2.

The most responsible for Minnesota's victory was Anthony Edwards, who scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter.

Naz Reed also played a key role in this game, as he was ejected in the second quarter for a foul on San Antonio's star forward Victor Wembanyama. Reed finished the game with 15 points and nine rebounds.

The best players for San Antonio were Dearon Fox and Dylan Harper with 24 points each, while Stefon Castle added 20.

San Antonio hosts the fifth game on Tuesday night, and whether Vembanjama will be available for that match will be determined after the league's decision.