NPR
CLEVELAND — In a commanding performance, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 19 points and 14 rebounds, while OG Anunoby contributed 17 points, leading the New York Knicks to a decisive 130-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. This victory signifies the Knicks' return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, completing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Landry Shamet made a significant impact off the bench with 16 points, while both Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson added 15 points each. The Knicks have now established themselves as the fourth team in NBA history to achieve an 11-game winning streak during the postseason. The last team to do this was the Golden State Warriors, who had a 15-game streak while claiming their second title in three seasons back in 2017.
The Knicks' overwhelming dominance is reflected in their postseason performance, with all but one of their victories coming by double-digit margins, yielding an impressive average winning margin of 23.7 points.
"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 stated following the game.
With 7:47 left on the clock and a 35-point lead, the Knicks withdrew their starters as their enthusiastic fan base rallied with chants of "Knicks in four!" The New York supporters outnumbered Cleveland fans significantly, with notable attendees including director Spike Lee, comedian Tracy Morgan, and actor Timothée Chalamet along with his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner.
"Our guys played great. 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," commented Knicks head coach Mike Brown.
New York excelled in second-chance scoring, outpacing Cleveland 32-5, and held a commanding 33-9 advantage in fast break points.
The Knicks are set to face either the defending champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, or the San Antonio Spurs in the upcoming finals. The Western Conference Finals are currently tied at two games apiece, with Game 5 scheduled in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Due to their superior regular-season record, the Thunder or Spurs will have home-court advantage when the finals commence on June 3.
This will mark the Knicks' third appearance in the NBA Finals since their last championship in 1973. Previously, they fell to the Houston Rockets in seven games in 1994 and lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in 1999.
Knicks legends Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Patrick Ewing presented the Bob Cousy Trophy to the team on the court, celebrating this significant milestone.
This achievement marks the 15th instance since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 where a coach has reached the finals in his inaugural year with a franchise. The Knicks secured Mike Brown as their head coach after parting ways with Tom Thibodeau, who led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals last year but ultimately lost in six games to Indiana.
This will be Brown's second trip to the finals as head coach; his first was with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.
Throughout the postseason, the Knicks have exhibited remarkable performance, having won all their clinching games by margins exceeding 30 points. They defeated the Atlanta Hawks by a staggering 51 points in Game 6 of the first round (140-89), and followed that up with a 30-point win (144-114) against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of the second round, completing another sweep.
Brunson earned the MVP title for the series, showcasing his prowess with averages of 25.5 points and 7.8 assists.
For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell led the team with 31 points, but it marks the first time the Cavaliers have been swept in a postseason series since facing the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals.
"They're playing better basketball. You have to give them credit. They're on a heater. I don't want to detract from what we've done, but sometimes you've got to give the other team credit," remarked Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson.
Mitchell initiated the scoring for the Cavaliers, contributing their first eight points as they established an early 8-2 lead. Cleveland held the lead for the initial six minutes of the game before New York asserted control.
Evan Mobley's putback dunk temporarily lifted the Cavaliers to a 17-14 advantage before the Knicks responded with a nine-point streak.
A floater from Mitchell brought Cleveland within 30-26 with 2:12 left in the first quarter, yet New York unleashed a staggering 20-0 run over a five-minute interval. The Knicks hit 8 of 14 from the floor during this stretch, including four three-pointers. The bench contributed 15 points, highlighted by two three-pointers from Shamet, who recorded an impressive shooting percentage of 11 of 12 from beyond the arc throughout the series.
During this drought, Cleveland struggled significantly, going 0 for 9 from the field, failing to convert on three attempts from three-point range, and committing four turnovers.
By the end of the first half, the Knicks had established a lead as high as 29 points and went into halftime leading 68-49. This marks the fourth occasion this postseason where the Knicks have held a lead of at least 19 points after 24 minutes of gameplay.
The Knicks already boasted four players scoring in double figures at halftime. Towns achieved a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
New York extended their lead to as much as 45 points in the fourth quarter.
James Harden, who finished with 12 points but struggled with his shooting at 2 of 8 from the field, reflected on Cleveland's missed chances. He highlighted that the Cavaliers failed to capitalize on open shots throughout the series and recalled the team’s lost opportunity when they squandered a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1, leading to a 115-104 overtime defeat.
"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 stated.
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