The Philadelphia 76ers’ season ended in a rout Sunday, with the New York Knicks beating them 144-114 at Xfinity Mobile Arena to complete a four-game sweep in the second round. For a team that had already delivered one major upset by knocking out the Boston Celtics, the finish was brutal and final.
Joel Embiid did not soften it. “They were just better than us in everything,” he said after the loss, then added, “We’ve just got to look at each other, starting with me.” The Knicks finished the sweep by an average of 22.3 points per game, a margin that reflected how quickly the series slipped away once Philadelphia ran into a deeper, sharper opponent.
The Sixers at least gave themselves something to build on this spring. They won 45 regular-season games after Nick Nurse had spent the offseason talking about the need to dig out of a 24-58 record, and they carried that progress into a first-round stunner against Boston. Philadelphia fell behind 3 games to 1, then came back to win Game 7 in Boston, ending a playoff drought against the Celtics that had stretched more than four decades. That run briefly changed the mood around a franchise that spent much of last season staring at disappointment after the flashy free-agent signing of Paul George turned into an injury-riddled mess.
But the numbers from the regular season also explain why the climb stopped here. Philadelphia finished 16th in offensive efficiency at 114.3 points per 100 possessions and 17th in defensive efficiency at 114.4 points allowed per 100 possessions. That is better than a year ago, but not enough to erase the problems that showed up in the second round: not enough outside shooting, not enough rebounding and not enough dependable depth behind the core.
Tyrese Maxey, who made his second All-Star appearance and finished fifth in the NBA in scoring at 28.3 points per game, tried to keep the perspective on the larger picture. He called the season “a step in the right direction.” That was the same tone he set during the year when he vowed the team would bring the same energy and style no matter who was on the floor, a promise that helped define the team’s identity even as the roster changed around him.
The Sixers can point to Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe as the hopeful backcourt foundation. Edgecombe averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals, and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. That gives Philadelphia a young guard pairing with real substance. It also leaves Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office with the same hard question that has followed the team for years: how to turn signs of progress into a roster that can survive the postseason when the margin for error disappears.
For now, the answer is written in the final score and in the way the Knicks closed the door. Philadelphia improved, but the gap between good and real contender still showed up when it mattered most.
