The Philadelphia 76ers may have exorcised their playoff demons against the Boston Celtics, but they ran into the buzzsaw that is the New York Knicks and ended up getting swept in the Eastern Conference semifinal, 4-0. The Knicks won Game 4 by 30 points, 144-114, in a beatdown that was reminiscent of how they obliterated the Atlanta Hawks by 51 points to close out their first-round series, and it was evident from the jump that the 76ers did not like the Knicks matchup one bit.
Now, the 76ers have plenty of pressing questions to address in the offseason. How to improve this team should be the most urgent one, as Philly has all the foundational pieces of a contending team but they simply need a piece or two more to push them over the top.
But that should be a problem for another time. The 76ers' season is officially over, and all they could do now is ponder on what they could have done better to at least avoid getting swept. Again, it is worth mentioning that playing the blame game is disingenuous, and it's not like there's a single player who deserves to carry all the blame, as Philly was simply outplayed in every facet of the ballgame.
With that said, here are a few things that did not go the 76ers' way as they went out in a sorry manner on Sunday night, at home no less, against the Knicks.
76ers' defense did not stand a chance in this series
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts with guard Mikal Bridges (25) against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter during game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
It's not an understatement to say that the Knicks dismantled the 76ers' defense bit by a bit in a way that the Celtics couldn't have. That was the main difference between New York and Boston; the former was more proactive in getting to the basket and playing inside-out, while the latter lived and died by the three-ball more.
It's a bit ironic that the team that placed more of an emphasis on the three-point shot ended up being the one who couldn't make enough of them when it mattered the most. Even in Game 7, the 76ers allowed so many good looks for the Celtics beyond the arc, particularly towards the end, but Boston couldn't make them pay.
In Game 4, there were no such troubles for the Knicks. They were on fire from beyond the arc, as they stretched the 76ers' defense thin — with Jalen Brunson knifing his way into the lane over and over. With the constant pressure Brunson exerted on Philly's defense, they had to send multiple bodies towards him — freeing up open shooters.
The defense has only done its job as well if they complete the stop with a defensive rebound. The 76ers have lost the rebound battle all series; they hauled in 42 fewer rebounds than the Knicks did for the entire series (172-130), and that averages to around a 10 or 11 rebound disparity per game. That is no way to win any series, especially against a Knicks team that has plenty of offensive weapons who can take advantage of second-chance opportunities.
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Perhaps losing the inside-out battle and the rebounding war shows that Embiid simply wasn't very healthy for this series. He might have given it his all against the Celtics, which should have been fulfilling from a personal standpoint, but that left him far from his best during the Knicks series.
New York, in the sweep, shot 54.5 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from deep. In Game 4, they made 25 triples as a team. They had a true shooting percentage of 66.2 for the entire series; for reference, Nikola Jokic had a TS% of 67.0 in the regular season and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a 66.5 percent TS.
The 76ers' sweep at the hands of the Knicks is simply a case of running into a red-hot team all while not having the defensive personnel to match up with the opposition.
Knicks have hard counters to Philly
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) and center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the first quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Not only were the Knicks a bad matchup for the 76ers on defense, the same goes for their offense. New York has all the defenders in the world to throw at Tyrese Maxey; Maxey, who scored 17 points on 6-16 shooting from the field, faced the likes of Mikal Bridges, Miles McBride, and even Jose Alvarado, all of whom can annoy the 76ers star.
New York has Mitchell Robinson to slow down Embiid and make him work; Embiid did go 8-8 from the field in Game 4, but he was a non-factor on the glass. Paul George did have his good moments, but OG Anunoby and Josh Hart made him struggle especially come the fourth quarter.
The 76ers need to load up on more playable wings, and they certainly need to invest in a frontcourt partner for Embiid who can cover a ton of ground on defense as well as help him on the boards.
The Philadelphia 76ers may have exorcised their playoff demons against the Boston Celtics, but they ran into the buzzsaw that is the New York Knicks and ended up getting swept in the Eastern Conference semifinal, 4-0.