For the first time in 27 years, the New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson and Co. extended their playoff winning streak to 11 games on Monday, completing a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference Finals.
All but one of the Knicks’ wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 23.7 points.
The New York Knicks pounded the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 to earn a trip to the NBA Finals.
The Knicks pulled their starters with 7:47 remaining and a 35-point lead as their large contingent of fans loudly chanted “Knicks in four!” New York fans easily outnumbered Cleveland fans as die-hard celebrity fans director Spike Lee, comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Timothée Chalamet and his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, made the trip.
“Our guys played great. You’re in the conference finals and score 65 points off of offensive rebounds and fast break points. I don’t know if I’ve seen that at this point of the year. We wanted to push the pace,” coach Mike Brown said.
Karl Anthony-Towns had 19 points and 14 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 17 and the New York Knicks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 Monday night to complete a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference finals and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
The series was uncompetitive after Cleveland blew a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1, with New York rolling to easy victories in Game 2 (109-93) and Game 3 (121-108).
It’s been a long time coming for the Knicks, who were largely uncompetitive throughout their 27 seasons between Finals appearances. From 2001 through 2022, the team missed the playoffs in 16 of 21 seasons and won just eight total postseason games.
Everything changed when the team signed Brunson away from the Dallas Mavericks in 2022. Over the past four seasons, he’s made the All-NBA Second Team three times. Brunson led the Knicks to the second round in his first two seasons before an East Finals loss in 2025 and now an NBA Finals berth.
The Knicks will await the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, which is tied 2-2. The NBA Finals will begin on Wednesday, June 3, regardless of when that series ends, and the Western champs will have home-court advantage.
New York lost to San Antonio 4-1 in its last Finals appearance in 1999. The team last won a championship in 1973.
