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The New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years with a commanding 130-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks continued their great form as they cruised to a 4-0 win in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals and extended their franchise record playoff winning streak to 11 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks in scoring with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while series Most Valuable Player Jalen Brunson added 15.
The Knicks, whose only NBA titles came in 1970 and 1973, last reached the Finals in 1999 when they lost 4-1 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Brunson, 29, was two years old when the Knicks last reached the Finals, when his father Rick — who is an assistant coach with the franchise — was a guard on the team.
“It means a lot, but I wouldn’t be here without my teammates, their belief in me,” Brunson said.
“They give me confidence. They let me be me. Most importantly, we all trust each other top to bottom. It’s an honor to play with them.”
The Knicks will face either defending champion Oklahoma City or the Spurs in next month’s showpiece, with the teams tied 2-2 in the Western Conference finals.
Landry Shamet, who scored 16 points and netted all four of his three-pointer attempts, said his team is focused on the “bigger goal” instead of their win over the Cavaliers.
“We have four more wins to try and we know it’s going to be tougher. To be in this position with this team, it’s pretty special,” he said.
If the Knicks continue their undefeated run and sweep the Finals, they will match the NBA record 15-game playoff winning streak set by the Golden State Warriors in 2017.
The Knicks ended the first quarter with an 8-0 run and opened the second with 12 unanswered points to take a 50-26 lead.
Shamet’s third three-pointer put the Knicks up 61-32 and they never looked back, overwhelming the Cavs after halftime with 22 turnovers.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 31 points.
Game five of the Western Conference finals will be played on Tuesday. (01.30 BST Wednesday).
