SPORTSTICKER NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAM REPORTS FOR TUESDAY, MAY 25 The Hawks, who have not reached the conference finals since the advent of the conferences in 1970, will have to wait till next year once again. Atlanta shot 30 percent in suffering yet another embarrassing loss to New York in Game Four at Madison Square Garden on Monday as they were swept out of the playoffs for the first time since 1970. Sharpshooting G Steve Smith was 5-of-15 on Monday and finished the series 20-of-74 from the floor. "I was very frustrated at the way we were losing," Smith said. "When you're a competitor, you don't want to lose. You don't want to get swept. But you've got to be professional about it, calm down a little bit and handle it." INDIANA PACERS -------------- The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year with an 89-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, completing a four-game sweep. Since the playoffs went to 16 teams in 1984, Indiana is the fourth team and first since the 1993 Chicago Bulls to sweep the first two rounds. ... For the second straight game, all five starters scored in double figures. ... For the fourth straight game, the Pacers raced to an early double-digit lead, then survived a rally by the Sixers. ... Indiana has won 22 of its last 25 meetings with Philadelphia and is 9-2 against former coach Larry Brown over the last two seasons. ... Game One of the conference finals will be no earlier than Sunday at Market Square Arena, starting while the Indianapolis 500 is under way. * NEW YORK KNICKS --------------- The Knicks completed their first four-game sweep since 1969, coasting to an easy 79-66 win over the Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Monday. ... G Allan Houston scored 19 points and C Patrick Ewing added 17 as New York moved into the conference semifinals for the first time since 1994. The team they faced that season is the same they will face on Sunday. The Indiana Pacers have not lost a postseason game this year and eliminated the Knicks in five games in the semifinals last year. ... New York lost two of three meetings with Indiana in the regular season, including a humiliating 94-71 road loss on May 2. ... The Knicks beat the Pacers in seven games in the 1994 East finals. ... Team president and general manager Dave Checketts admitted that he had looked into the possibility of hiring former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson at an afternoon press conference on Monday. He had previously denied such reports.  