The New York Knicks have officially booked their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, routing the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 on Monday night. The victory sealed a 4-0 sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals and extended the team's record winning streak to 11 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while OG Anunoby added 17 points. Landry Shamet came off the bench to score 16 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each contributed 15 points, and Josh Hart finished with 6 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP, averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series. Notably, the Knicks outscored their opponents by a total of 262 points over their 11-game win streak, a margin of dominance unprecedented in NBA history, whether in playoffs or regular season.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points, and Evan Mobley tallied 15 points and 7 rebounds. This marked Cleveland's first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2018. Head coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged, "Sometimes you have to give credit to the opponent. They played brilliantly and are in top form."
The Knicks dominated the boards 60-33, with reserve center Mitchell Robinson pulling down 10 rebounds in just 18 minutes. A decisive 20-0 run spanning the end of the first quarter and start of the second flipped the game, capped by a Towns dunk that made it 50-26.
Notable courtside attendees included comedian Tracy Morgan, filmmaker Spike Lee, and actor Timothée Chalamet. The Knicks will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, currently tied 2-2.
