Knicks take 3-0 series lead over 76ers after Game 3 win

The Knicks have not just won three straight games. They have set the terms of the series, overwhelming Philadelphia with pace, shot-making and a steadier finish when the 76ers have had chances to swing the nights back in their favor.

New York beat the 76ers 108-94 in Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, pushing the Eastern Conference semifinals to 3-0 and extending its playoff winning streak to six games. The margin followed a 137-98 rout in Game 1 on May 4 and a 108-102 escape in Game 2 on May 6, a run that has lifted New York’s series scoring average to 117.7 points against Philadelphia’s 98.0. Game 4 is set for Sunday, May 10, at 3:30 p.m. ET in Philadelphia, and it now arrives with the 76ers facing elimination.

What has tilted the matchup so sharply toward New York is the blend of depth and late-game control. Jalen Brunson scored 33 points and handed out nine assists in Game 3, while Mikal Bridges added 23 points. Mike Brown’s team again survived the moments when Philadelphia threatened to take the night, then separated in the fourth quarter. The Knicks’ ability to keep their scoring level high across all three games has turned the series into a constant uphill climb for Nick Nurse’s team.

Philadelphia found a temporary answer early, even with Joel Embiid back in the lineup after missing Game 2 with a sprained right ankle and sore right hip. The 76ers led by as many as 12 points, but they could not hold it. Paul George scored 15 points in the first quarter, then went scoreless the rest of the way and missed all nine of his shots after halftime. Tyrese Maxey finished with 17 points, and the 76ers’ offense again stalled when the game tightened.

Free throws offered another clear edge. New York went 23 of 32 from the line, while Philadelphia finished 13 of 16, a gap that mattered as the Knicks kept pressing into the final period. The crowd around the arena leaned heavily toward New York as well, with Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Morgan and Ben Stiller among the Knicks fans on hand.

Three indicators will tell whether Philadelphia can still change the series dynamic: Embiid’s ability to move through the ankle and hip issues without fading late, George’s ability to carry his scoring past the first quarter, and whether the 76ers can match New York’s fourth-quarter execution before the Knicks turn Game 4 into a sweep. No NBA team has ever erased a 3-0 deficit, and New York has made that history feel even farther away.