Knicks end 27-year drought to reach NBA Finals with dominant sweep
New York routs Cleveland 130-93 in Game 4, extending franchise playoff record to 11 wins
The New York Knicks have secured their first NBA Finals berth since 1999, completing a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. The victory, sealed by a 130-93 rout in Game 4 on Monday night, ends a 27-year championship drought for the franchise and establishes a new benchmark for postseason dominance in New York basketball history.
New York extended its franchise playoff-record winning streak to 11 games, a run that matches the third-longest single-postseason performance in NBA history. During this streak, the Knicks outscored their opponents by 262 points, a margin described as the most dominant span in league history for both the playoffs and regular season. Jalen Brunson was unanimously named the Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player, having averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists throughout the series.
The decisive game was characterised by an early and overwhelming offensive surge from the visitors. New York executed a 20-0 run spanning from the end of the first quarter into the second, punctuated by a dunk from Karl-Anthony Towns that established a 50-26 lead. Towns finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while OG Anunoby contributed 17 points. Landry Shamet provided significant support off the bench with 16 points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range.
Cleveland suffered their largest-ever playoff home game defeat, losing by 37 points. Despite 31 points from Donovan Mitchell and 15 points and seven rebounds from Evan Mobley, the Cavaliers could not contain New York’s rebounding advantage, which stood at 60-33. Mitchell Robinson grabbed 10 rebounds in just 18 minutes of play, and James Harden struggled to find his rhythm, scoring 12 points while missing all six of his three-point attempts.
The Knicks will now face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, with the Western Conference series currently tied 2-2. Head coach Mike Brown, who previously led the Cavaliers to an Eastern Conference title in 2007, is making his second NBA Finals appearance as a head coach. The championship series is scheduled to commence on June 3.
