Knicks Can Sweep 76ers and Move One Step From the NBA Finals

The New York Knicks have a chance to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday in Game 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. Currently up 3-0, the Knicks have had an up-and-down season, but they clearly have the talent to be a championship contender, even if it has been a rollercoaster year overall.

But lately, they have been incredible.

Going up against a Sixers team that already knocked off the Boston Celtics, who entered the playoffs as the favorite to win the Eastern Conference, the Knicks now have every right to be viewed as a real threat to come out of the East. And if they are able to finish off Philadelphia with a sweep on Sunday, that belief is only going to grow.

Their roster is playing as well as it has all season. After a slow start to the playoffs and a quieter finish to the regular season, Mikal Bridges is back and playing well. There are some injury concerns with OG Anunoby, but overall this team has two-way talent, it has star power, and it has one of the best home-court environments in basketball.

That is what makes Sunday so important. If the Knicks are able to sweep the 76ers and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, they would then get the winner of the Pistons-Cavaliers series and head into that matchup with momentum and, just as importantly, some extra rest.

And that matters this time of year.

A sweep would not just send New York to the Eastern Conference Finals. It would put the Knicks in a really strong spot moving forward with a real chance to make the NBA Finals representing the East. For a team that has had its ups and downs this season, this is the kind of moment that can define a playoff run.