After 27 years, New York has returned to the NBA Finals.
The Knicks did it in style on Monday night, routing the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 on the road in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals to complete a sweep and continue the remarkable run by Jalen Brunson and his teammates. The Knicks captain was named Eastern Conference finals MVP.
The Knicks continued their dream playoff run with an 11th consecutive victory — an especially rare achievement. The last team to do it was the 2017 Golden State Warriors, who won 15 straight games on their way to the championship. If the Knicks match that mark, they will also be champions — for the first time since 1973.
Leading Mike Brown’s team in the decisive game was Karl-Anthony Towns, with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while OG Anunoby added 17 points. Landry Shamet also stood out off the bench with 16 points, while Mikal Bridges and Brunson each added 15.
Knicks fans completely took over the arena in Cleveland, and by the fourth quarter, with the lead swelling to 35 points, Brown pulled his starters to chants of “Knicks in four!” Director Spike Lee, comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Timothée Chalamet were also seen in the stands, along with Chalamet’s partner, Kylie Jenner.
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Knicks legends Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier present the MVP trophy to Jalen Brunson
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Cleveland actually opened better, mainly thanks to Donovan Mitchell, who scored his team’s first eight points and gave the Cavaliers an 8-2 lead. An Evan Mobley dunk made it 17-14 for the Cavs, but then New York went on a 9-0 run. Later, with the Knicks leading only 30-26, came the run that finished the game completely — 20-0 in five minutes.
Cleveland collapsed offensively, going 0 for 9 from the field during the drought, including misses on all three attempts from beyond the arc and four turnovers. On the other end, the Knicks scored from every possible spot, with Shamet continuing his excellent series from beyond the arc and finishing it with 11 3-pointers on 12 attempts.
New York’s lead grew to 29 points in the first half, and the scoreboard showed a crushing 68-49 advantage at halftime. Towns already had a double-double at the break with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while four Knicks players had reached double figures. In the fourth quarter, the gap ballooned to a peak of 45 points, on the way to one of the biggest playoff wins in franchise history. Mitchell scored 31 points, Mobley had 15 and James Harden finished with just 12.
For the Knicks, this will be their third Finals appearance since their last championship in 1973. In 1994, they lost to Houston in seven games, and in 1999 they fell to San Antonio in five. New York now awaits the winner of the Western Conference finals between defending champion Oklahoma City and the Spurs, with the series tied 2-2. Game 5 will be played overnight in Oklahoma City, and the Knicks’ Finals opponent will have home-court advantage thanks to a better regular-season record.