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The New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, defeating 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, Ozzie Anunoby added 17 and Landry Shamet added 16 off the bench, while Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson both had 15.
The victory saw the Knicks become the fourth team in history to hit an 11-game winning streak in the postseason and the first team since the Golden State Warriors, who went on a 15-game run en route to the 2017 title.
10 of the Knicks’ 11 wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 23.7 points, while New York’s last victory will set them up to face either the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in next month’s NBA Finals.
“I think the word ‘hope’ has been gone from the name of the New York Knicks for a long time, and for me to be a part of this team that rekindles hope is something special,” Towns said.
Brunson was named the series MVP after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists.
How the Knicks ended their 27-year wait for the NBA Finals
Donovan Mitchell had 31 points for Cleveland, who swept a postseason series for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals against Golden State.
Mitchell scored the Cavaliers’ first eight points as they took 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 left in the first quarter as 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.
Bench scored 15 points, including a pair of Shamet’s three-pointers. The seventh-year guard was 11 of 12 from beyond the arc during the series. The Knicks led by 29 in the first half and led 68-49 at halftime – the fourth time this postseason the Knicks led 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 of eight from the field, lamented Cleveland’s missed opportunities. Besides not getting open shots throughout the series, the Cavaliers blew a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1 before losing 115-104 in overtime.
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“Yes, it was 4-0, but we didn’t give ourselves a chance. To be honest, I think we’re the better team. But series-wise we didn’t show that,” he said.
The Knicks pulled their starter with 7:47 left and a 35-point lead as a large group of fans chanted “Knicks in four!” chanted, celebrity supporters including actor Timothée Chalamet and his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, were among those watching.
“Our guys played great,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “You’re in the conference finals and score 65 points off offensive rebounds and fast break points. I don’t know if I’ve seen that this time of year. We wanted to push the pace.”
Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were both sitting courtside
The Knicks have won all three of their clinching games during the playoffs by at least 30 points. They defeated the Atlanta Hawks by 51 in Game 6 of the first round (140–89) and then completed a sweep by defeating the Philadelphia 76ers by 30 (144–114) in Game 4 of the second round.
What next?
The Western Conference finals are tied at two games apiece with Game 5 in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Either the Thunder or the Spurs will have home-court advantage when the Finals begin on June 3, because of better regular-season records.
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