The New York Knicks have reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 to complete a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference finals.
Karl Anthony-Towns had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks, OG Anunoby scored 17 and Landry Shamet added 16 off the bench, while Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson both had 15 apiece.
Victory sees the Knicks become just the the fourth team in history to have an 11-game winning streak during the post-season run and the first since the Golden State Warriors, who had a 15-game run on their way to the 2017 title.
10 of the 11 Knicks wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 23.7 points, while New York’s last victory leaves them facing either defending champions the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in next month’s NBA Finals.
“I feel like the word ‘hope’ has been gone from the New York Knicks name for a long time and for me to be part of this team that revives hope is something special,” Towns said.
Brunson was named the MVP of the series after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists.
How Knicks ended 27-year wait for NBA Finals
Donovan Mitchell had 31 points for Cleveland, who were swept in a post-season series for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals against Golden State.
Mitchell scored the Cavaliers’ first eight points as they jumped out to an 8-2 lead, with Cleveland leading for most of the first six minutes before New York took control. Evan Mobley’s putback dunk gave the Cavaliers a 17-14 advantage before the Knicks scored nine straight points.
A floater by Mitchell got Cleveland within 30-26 with 2:12 remaining in the first quarter when New York went on a 20-0 run over a five minute span. The Knicks were eight of 14 from the field, including four three-pointers.
The bench scored 15 points, including a pair of three-pointers by Shamet. The seventh-year guard was 11 of 12 from beyond the arc during the series. The Knicks led by as many as 29 in the first half and were up 68-49 at half-time – the fourth time this post-season the Knicks were up by at least 19 after 24 minutes.
The Knicks already had four players in double figures in the first half, as Towns had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while New York’s largest lead was 45 points in the fourth quarter.
James Harden, who finished with 12 points but was two from eight from the field, lamented Cleveland’s missed opportunities. Besides not making open shots throughout the series, the Cavaliers blew a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter in Game 1 before losing 115-104 in overtime.
James Harden was unable to propel the Cavs to the NBA Finals having joined the team mid-season from the LA Clippers
“Yes, it was 4-0, but we didn’t give ourselves a chance. Genuinely, I think we are the better team. but series wise we didn’t show it,” he said.
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!”, with celebrity supporters including actor Timothée Chalamet and his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, among those watching.
“Our guys played great,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “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.”
Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were both sat courtside
The Knicks have won all three of their clinching games during the playoffs by at least 30 points. They routed the Atlanta Hawks by 51 in Game 6 of the first round (140-89) and then defeated the Philadelphia 76ers by 30 (144-114) in Game 4 of the second round to complete a sweep.
What’s next?
The Western Conference finals is tied at two games apiece with Game 5 to be played in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. The Thunder or Spurs will have home-court advantage when the finals start on June 3, because of a better regular-season record.
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