NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 01: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts during the first quarter of the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on March 01, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
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There’s still a long way to go in these NBA playoffs, but the Knicks are on a roll and one former NBA player believes they look like a team that can win it all.
With their 137-98 destruction of Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks became the first team in NBA history with three straight playoff wins by 25+ points. It was their largest home playoff win in franchise history. The 39-point loss by the Sixers was the second-worst in a playoff game in franchise history.
The Knicks have won their last four playoff games by an average of 33.8 points, the biggest margin by any team in a 4-game span in playoff history.
“Last night was the best I’ve ever seen the Knicks look and they felt like a team that could win the NBA championship,” Jay Williams, a former No. 2 overall NBA Draft pick and now an ESPN analyst, said Tuesday on Get Up.
“I never saw their ceiling both offensively and defensively [look as high] as I saw last night,” Williams added.”
He continued: “It was their most impressive performance of the season.”
Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half when the Knicks seized a 74-51 halftime lead.
Karl-Anthony Towns continued his heightened level of play with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, OG Anunoby scored 18 points and Mikal Bridges 17. The Knicks shot 63% from the field.
Towns is averaging 18.4 points on 58% percent shooting with 10.6 rebounds in these playoffs.
The Knicks are now running their offense through Towns more, while also getting into their offense quicker and transitioning from defense to offense at a faster pace.
“They’re way more active in getting into their offense and they go right into a play,” ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst said.
“What they’re really doing well right now is getting into their early offense where they flow right from defense and they run right into a play,” he added. “A lot of times when the Knicks were at their worst Jalen Brunson would dribble the ball literally 20 times a possession and they would wait to get into their offense. Now they’re way more active in getting into it. It was still a lot of Jalen Brunson pick and roll last night.
“When they don’t have Brunson doing that, they’ve been going to Karl Towns and Karl Towns have been running sets and systems and high post offense like we saw Draymond Green.” Green, of course, won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors in that position.
Brunson told reporters: “Yes, it’s turned into obviously big wins, but those attention to detail things are going to help us in the close ones as well.”
The Sixers, who had gone 2-0 at New York during the regular season, were coming off a short turnaround, having beating the Boston Celtics in a Game 7 on Saturday when Joel Embiid went for 34 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.
Against the Knicks, he moved at a glacial pace and had just 14 points and 4 rebounds.
But can the Knicks realistically expect him to play at that level going forward?
Probably not.
Game 2 is Wednesday at Madison Square Garden before the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 Friday and Sunday. Embiid is already pleading with Sixers fans not to sell their tickets for those games.
As for the Knicks, they haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973 and, with the Celtics having been eliminated, this may be their best chance to get back to the NBA Finals in recent memory.
“We’re playing well, but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins,” Towns told reporters. “So, we’ve just got to stick to the task at hand.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com