Knicks advance to NBA Finals for first time since 1999 after sweeping Cavs

For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

With the win, the Knicks get the sweep and defeat the Cavs 4-0, and now they wait for the winner of Spurs-Thunder in the Western Conference finals. 

Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference finals MVP.

New York has now won 11 straight playoff games, and they get their second consecutive sweep.

The Knicks led 38-26 after the first quarter and took a 68-49 lead at halftime. New York continued their dominance in the second half, and the Knicks had their largest lead of the game at 45 points in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks have closed out the last three series by 51 points against the Hawks, by 30 points against the 76ers, and by 37 points against the Cavs.

New York had six players in double figures as Karl Anthony Towns led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby had 17, Landry Shamet added 16 points off the bench, and Brunson and Mikal Bridges chipped in with 15 points apiece.

The Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 31 points.

Bottom Line:

We hate to sound like a broken record, but this series was over after the Cavs blew the 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1.

Cleveland never recovered, and it appeared they rolled over in Games 3 and 4, especially Game 4, where they showed no fight whatsoever. 

Was the Cavs’ season a success? Somewhat. They reached the conference finals for the first time since 2018. That’s an improvement. However, they had the best record in basketball last season and the highest payroll in the NBA this year, so it was a championship-or-bust in Cleveland. In the end, it was a bust.

The Knicks are playing the best basketball in these playoffs. Everyone talks about the Spurs or Thunder as the real NBA Finals. If you believe that, you have not been watching the Knicks. New York has all the makings of a championship team, and they will get an opportunity to get some rest before the NBA Finals start on June 3.