Josh Hart took a swipe at the Philadelphia 76ers fans after the New York Knicks completed a sweep of their Eastern Conference semifinal series in front of a huge travelling contingent, quipping: "I used to think Philly was a sports town." 

A resounding 144-114 victory in Game 4 on Sunday confirmed the Knicks' return to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers last year.

All five of the Knicks' starters were in double figures for points, led by Miles McBride (25) and Jalen Brunson (22). Hart tacked on 17 points in addition to his nine rebounds.

And New York's dominant victory came in front of a huge swathe of travelling supporters, with the Knicks' fans taking over Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Hart mocked the Sixers' lack of home-field advantage afterwards, saying: "I used to think Philly was a sports town. I don't know if it is any more!

"Everybody was begging for Philly fans not to sell their tickets. It never felt like a road game."

Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey, who also had 17 points, also lamented the home turnout but said it was the Sixers' responsibility to maintain fans' interest. 

"It absolutely sucks, it just sucks. There's only one way to put a stop to it: We have to go out there and win these games," Maxey said. 

"It felt louder in here for them than it did in the [Madison Square] Garden."

KNICKS IN pic.twitter.com/oouKIMluaQ

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 10, 2026

The defeat marked a disappointing end to the Sixers' season, which continued longer than expected after they fought back to defeat the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the previous round of the playoffs.  

Joel Embiid missed large chunks of the season due to various injuries, battling a knee issue throughout the campaign then having an emergency appendectomy a month ago.

Right hip and ankle injuries also caused him to miss Game 2 of the Knicks series.

But he is hopeful of a more consistent campaign next year, saying: "I'm as confident as I've ever been. 

"I think, obviously, my knee was the biggest concern, and I'm not thinking about it; and as long as we keep doing what we've been doing, I won't have to think about it any more.

"I'm looking at next year, obviously being more available. The personal goals, they don't matter.

"I know that if I'm available and I play as much as possible, everything else is going to follow."