Sixers' season over after Knicks playoff sweep; New York fans take over; Barkley and others react to Game 4 blowout

Maybe it needed to end this way.

Now, there can be no misconceptions about who the Sixers are. Not after the Mother’s Day spanking the Knicks administered to them on Sunday afternoon. To get swept at home is one thing. To do it in front of a largely pro-New York crowd is another. But the main thing is the manner in which the Sixers did it.

A team that ends its season with a humiliation this abject cannot possibly carry with it into the summer any illusions about its roster. There is no greater “is.” The Sixers are who they were in a 144-114 loss to the Knicks, and what they were is a long, long way from good.

The Sixers were dismantled, 144-114, in Game 4 of their second-round series against the New York Knicks, bringing their season to a close.

This one was another wire-to-wire win for the Knicks, who pulled out to a 43-24 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Joel Embiid was one of the few Sixers to play well, producing 24 points on 8-of-8 from the field and 6-for-7 at the free-throw line.

The Sixers will now go into an uncertain offseason.

Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are a combined 6-of-28 from the floor and 1-of-12 from three-point range late in the third quarter, a rough ending to a terrific season as an electric backcourt.

It's worth wondering how much the workload – Maxey led the NBA in minutes per game, while Edgecombe was first among rookies in that category – has finally caught up. Maxey is also still dealing with a pinkie finger injury that he has acknowledged has affected his play.

The two guards just shared a handshake and hug as Edgecombe entered for Maxey in the third quarter's final minute, before Maxey shook hands with both of his parents, who sit at the scorer's table at most Sixers home games.

There may be a half left to play, but Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew weren't too optimistic about a Sixers' comeback in Game 4.

"81-57 in a potential closeout game," host Ernie Johnson said, only to be interrupted by Barkley.

"Potential?!" Barkley responsed.

Joel Embiid's status has been in doubt since he missed the start of the postseason with an appendectomy and Game 2 against the Knicks with hip and ankle injuries.

Yet Embiid is one of the few 76ers player to show up for Game 4 against the Knicks with his team's season on the line. The big man has 19 points on 6-of-6 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. He's added five makes at the free-throw line.

Kelly Oubre Jr., has played with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, but Paul George, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey have struggled from the field, combing to make only eight of 23 looks.

After winning Game 1 of their first-round series against the Atlanta, the Knicks got a little comfortable and dropped two straight games to the Hawks.

They rebounded with three straight wins and delivered a real message after it looked like they might collapse against a younger, less experienced team.

They clearly learned their lesson against the Sixers. Facing a potential closeout in Game 4, the Knicks came out firing. They made 10 of their first 11 three-pointers and gathered 24 points from Miles McBride and Landry Shamet. The stars have gotten the job done too as Jalen Brunson has 14 points and Karl-Anthony Towns has eight points and nine assists.

Deuce McBride had struggled with his shot all postseason.

After averaging 12 points in the regular season, he'd put up only 5.6 in the playoffs, including a quiet start against the Sixers on Friday. He only had three points in that game and shot 1-for-6. He was 14-for-14 on threes from the series.

McBride was clearly determined to make the best of his second start with OG Anunoby out for a hamstring injury. He scored 12 of his team's first 20 points on back-to-back-to-back-to-back three-pointers. He received assists from all of the Knicks' stars, as Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson all hit him with passes.

Jalen Brunson was amazing in his series against the Atlanta Hawks as his team won in six games.

He's somehow been eve better against the Sixers, averaging 31.3 points, 6 assists and 2.3 rebounds. He been efficient doing it as well, shooting 52.5% from the field and 36.8% from three.

The Sixers have thrown a lot of bodies at him with VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Paul George all taking shifts. No one has been able to corral the former Villanova star.

The New York Knicks will be without star forward OG Anunoby for a second straight game. 

“He's out for tonight, with the same thing,” coach Mike Brown said. “He's day to day.”

Anunoby, who was playing as well as anyone this postseason, suffered a hamstring strain at the end of Game 2 as his team took an 0-2 lead on the 76ers. 

The Process is dead. Long live The Process.

The Sixers' season may be on the brink, but Philly's postseason run means nothing's on the line during today's NBA draft lottery (3 p.m., ABC). The Sixers own the No. 22 pick in next month's draft, a former Houston Rockets pick they acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the Jared McCain trade.

The Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, and Indiana Pacers each have a 14% of landing the No. 1 pick. All three were tankers this season – the Wizards went 3-26 after the All-Star Break, the Nets lost 43 games by double digits, and the Pacers were fined for benching healthy players.

Tyrese Maxey was a legitimate MVP candidate this season. In the frequent absences of Joel Embiid, Maxey kept the Sixers in the playoff hunt with endless effort, evolved offense, floor generalship, and, more than anything, scoring.

He averaged 28.3 points, which ranked fifth in the NBA. He averaged 21.4 shots, which was third.

In three games against the Knicks, he’s averaging 18.7 points and 14.7 shots. The Sixers have lost the first three games of this second-round series, the latest a 108-94 defeat on Friday night. The Knicks can sweep on Sunday afternoon.

Pistons lead the Cavaliers 2-1

After collapsing in the clutch in the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers got timely plays in the final three minutes from James Harden and Max Strus to get back into their series against the Detroit Pistons.

Harden hit three big shots and Strus came up with the steal and go-ahead basket in the Cavaliers’ 116-109 victory on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1.

After the Sixers won three straight to come back against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, is their any hope Philly can pull off a similar feat against the New York Knicks?

History isn't on Philly's side.

No NBA team has overcome a 3-0 playoff deficit to win a best-of-seven series.

Outside concern — and evidence — is mounting that the Sixers are physically wearing down.

After leading the NBA in minutes per game during the regular season, Tyrese Maxey entered Saturday ranked first in that category in the playoffs by nearly 30 total minutes. He's averaging over 40 minutes a game for the Sixers, topping off at nearly 47 minutes in Game 2.

The next two players in line were VJ Edgecombe, who is still in the midst of the most grueling stretch of basketball of his life, and Paul George, a 36-year-old who scored 15 first-quarter points Friday but went 0 of 9 from the floor the rest of the game.

Joel Embiid’s health remains a prominent variable for the 76ers, as evidenced by the massive ace bandage he removed from his right hip and midsection following Friday’s return to action in Game 3.

He is listed as probable to play in Game 4 on the NBA’s initial official injury report released Saturday evening.

The former NBA Most Valuable Player went 7-for-17 from the floor for 18 points in Game 3, still searching for that super-efficient shooting performance. And the Knicks have been attacking Embiid defensively in the high pick and roll, testing his mobility that was already more limited following multiple knee surgeries and has become more so while dealing with his appendectomy aftermath, hip soreness, and a sprained ankle.

The Sixers jump back onto broadcast TV Sunday looking to avoid being swept out of the playoffs by the New York Knicks.

Game 4 airs on ABC today, with tipoff scheduled for a little after 3:30 p.m. Calling the game is Mike Breen alongside Richard Jefferson and former La Salle standout Tim Legler. King of Prussia native Lisa Salters will report from Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew – Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal – will host ABC's pregame show beginning at 2:30 p.m.