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The Philadelphia 76ers attempted to avoid a second-round sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks, but couldn't handle the visitors who surged ahead again in Game 4.
And this one wasn't pretty, as the Knicks pushed to a 43-24 lead in the first quarter and an 81-57 lead at halftime, showing they were ready to take care of business and get some rest for the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 76ers received a strong 24-point performance from their big man, Joel Embiid, who also hauled in five rebounds and dished out four assists in his 28 minutes on the court.
He continued to play at a high level just weeks after having an appendectomy, including his return in the first-round series to help Philly defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 7.
While this second-round matchup proved overwhelming for the 76ers, Embiid had intriguing comments about the sweep and this past season, calling it "successful" despite the final result.
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For Embiid, a concern was that he might not be able to play anymore after battling setbacks with his knee injury in recent seasons and postseasons.
"We came into this season thinking there was not much left based on the last two years, and now I'm sitting here not even worrying about my knee," he told reporters postgame, mentioning that he felt good despite people falling on him.
“I hate losing, but based on- I thought I was done … and then we found something as a group to figure it out what we can do to fight for a better position next year," Embiid said.
Asked about where he stands with Philadelphia, and the big man said he "loves Philly" but was disappointed they couldn't get further in the playoffs.
"Quite frankly, New York, they were just better than us in everything," he told reporters, adding, "We just gotta look at each other, starting with me."
While some will criticize Embiid for what seems like a strange spin on how they ended the playoff run, it was more about his ability to continue contributing to the 76ers despite his previous injury concerns.
He played in only 19 games last season but doubled that this season, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
They finished 45-37 and needed to win the play-in games to become the No. 7 seed, rather than securing a strong first-round spot for home-court advantage.
That home-court might not have mattered once they ran into this Knicks team, though, as they are clearly on a mission to try to get into the NBA Finals after being stopped short last year.
Meanwhile, Philly has a lot to look forward to with the team's future, including their young star V.J. Edgecombe, who was a significant addition to the roster in his rookie season.
They'll look to the offseason for potential roster upgrades, which could include free agency and the NBA Draft, where they hold the No. 22 pick.
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