The Knicks and Thunder became the first two NBA teams to secure their places in the Conference Finals after sweeping the Sixers and Lakers, respectively. And with the way they’re playing lately, there’s a huge chance that these two teams will meet in the Finals come June.
The said scenario almost happened last December, as both teams were deep into the NBA Cup knockouts. However, the Thunder lost to the Spurs in the Western bracket, and the Knicks beat the Spurs in the final game, ending their 52-year trophy drought.
While the Knicks and Thunder advanced to the next round, the Cavaliers (like the Timberwolves last Sunday) have equalised against the Pistons, pushing their best-of-seven series to a virtual best-of-three after making it 2-2 on Monday night.
Just in case you missed it, SBOTOP always has you covered with the latest NBA 2026 updates.
Knicks’ sizzling offence burns the weary Sixers
After being tested by the Hawks in the opening round of this year’s playoffs, the Knicks vented their ire on the Sixers, who are coming off a grueling first-round series against the Celtics, where they came back from a 3-1 deficit.
The Knicks opened the second round with a 137-98 blowout win over the Sixers. Games 2 and 3 were closer, having scored 108 points in each. But New York opened the floodgates in Game 4 en route to a 144-114 victory on Monday.
What made the sweep more agonising for the Sixers was that the Knicks fans outnumbered Sixers fans at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Knicks got off to a brisk start in the first half, outscoring Philadelphia 81-57, and never looked back from there.
Miles McBride led all scorers with 25 points, four rebounds, and seven three-pointers on 7-for-10 shooting from the field in 29 minutes. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Landry Shamet added 22, 17, 17, 12, and 12 points.
As for Philadelphia, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 24, 17, and 10. Paul George should’ve done better, as he only had seven points on 3-for-7 shooting from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander helps Thunder close out the Lakers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander saved his best for last in Game 4 against the Lakers to complete their second consecutive sweep in this year’s postseason. After scoring 18, 22, and 23 in the first three games, which are low for his lofty standards, as the Lakers’ defence keyed in on him, the reigning league MVP posted 35 points and eight assists on 11-for-22 shooting from the field and 12-for-15 shooting from the free throw line in 39 minutes on Monday.
Ajay Mitchell has been the x-factor for Oklahoma City in the second round, and the 23-year-old combo guard set a new career playoff high in points, contributing 28 points, including 10 in the final quarter. Chet Holmgren added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Jared McCain supplied 13 points off the bench.
The Thunder were up by one with less than 33 seconds remaining and needed one stop to secure the win. LeBron James had the chance to take the lead for the Lakers, but the 41-year-old forward missed his driving bank shot. Los Angeles had one more chance down three, but Austin Reaves missed a pull-up three that would’ve tied the game.
The NBA 2026 odds continue to back the Thunder to go all the way again this year, as they haven’t lost a playoff game thus far. After sweeping the Lakers, they will get at least the rest of the week off before opening the Conference Finals against the winner between the Spurs and Timberwolves.
Mitchell matches league record in Cavaliers’ Game 4 victory
The Cavaliers won 112-103 at home against the Pistons on Monday night, as Donovan Mitchell recorded one of the best scoring halves in NBA playoff history. In Game 4, the seven-time All-Star scored 39 points in the second half, matching Eric “Sleepy” Floyd’s record in 1987 against the Lakers. Mitchell had the opportunity to surpass the former Warriors guard, but he missed a free throw with 27.6 seconds left.
After trailing by four at halftime, Cleveland went on a 24-0 run – led by Mitchell’s 15 points – to outscore Detroit 38-21 in the third quarter, which gave them enough breathing room for the home win.
Mitchell ultimately finished with 43 points, five rebounds, and four three-pointers on 13-for-26 shooting from the field and 13-for-15 shooting from the charity stripe in 37 minutes. He received support from co-stars James Harden and Evan Mobley, who contributed 24 and 17 points.
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