Knicks beat Cavaliers to reach NBA Finals | Basketball

Brunson scored 30 points as the Knicks beat the Cavs 121-108 to take a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

The New York Knicks are on the brink of their first NBA Finals since 1999 after a 121-108 victory at Cleveland extended their winning streak to 10 games.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, OG Anunoby added 21 and Mikal Bridges contributed 22 on 11-15 shooting as New York pushed the Cavaliers to the finals on Saturday.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Brunson said. “I thought we fought, the most important thing.”

The Knicks take a 3-0 lead into the Eastern Conference’s seventh-best series and can complete a four-game sweep Monday in Cleveland.

No team in NBA history has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

“The results are not over,” Anunoby said. “Just put our foot on our neck and try to win the game.”

Brunson said the Knicks have to keep looking. Focus on one thing at a time.

“The way we’ve been thinking for the last few (a) weeks, we have to continue, if not better.”

The Knicks last reached the NBA Finals 27 years ago when they lost to San Antonio. They haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973.

New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns had 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals while Josh Hart added 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals for a Knicks team that hasn’t been beaten in a month.

Brunson said, “Our thinking has not changed.

“We try to do better every day and we try to learn to be successful.

“There are many things we can do better. There are many things we can control, many mental mistakes we need to correct, but we keep looking for ways to get better.”

Evan Mobley led Cleveland with 24 points, while Donovan Mitchell added 23 and James Harden scored 19 points.

The Cavaliers, who blew a 22-point lead to lose the opener, never took the lead as New York quickly took command and dominated.

“I think you could say the volume is up (from the first game),” Anunoby said.

“We try to play the right way every game, but maybe the momentum went a little too far.”

New York started the game 10-13 from the floor to take a 29-19 lead just 8:29 into the contest, with Towns scoring 11 points on the way to a 37-27 lead after the first quarter.

Cleveland trimmed New York’s halftime lead to 60-54, but the Cavs committed six turnovers in the first six minutes of the third quarter.

The Knicks led 91-82 entering the fourth quarter and stretched it to 110-93 in the final minutes before completing their fifth straight win.

“It’s just executing the game plan on both ends of the floor, playing the right way, moving the ball, and then stopping the defense,” Anunoby said of New York’s key to success.