The New York Knicks have secured their place in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in a commanding Eastern Conference Finals showdown.
In a must-win Game 4 on Monday night in Cleveland, the Cavaliers struggled to keep pace, suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the relentless Knicks.
With a strong contingent of celebrity supporters traveling from New York to Ohio, the Knicks dominated at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, clinching a decisive 130-93 victory and a coveted spot in the Finals.
This achievement marks the Knicks’ first appearance in the NBA championship series since their last run in 1999.
Even though the series concluded on the Cavaliers’ home court, the Knicks’ victory ignited celebrations throughout New York City.
Anticipating the excitement, numerous NYPD officers gathered at Madison Square Garden well before the final buzzer sounded in Cleveland, ready to manage the jubilant crowds outside the legendary Manhattan venue.
The New York Knicks are heading to their first NBA Finals in 27 years after a Game 4 win
The Knicks ran riot to a 130-93 victory to sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East
Fans flocked to MSG, sparking wild scenes as they celebrated the long-awaited end of their team’s Finals exile.
Seventh and Eighth Avenues were a picture of mayhem outside the iconic Manhattan arena as fans gathered under the watchful eye of the host of cops guarding the doors.
Many had brought brooms with them – a brutal dig at the Cavaliers for being swept – shaking them in the air as they chanted, ‘Let’s go Knicks.’
A cluster of particularly reckless fans climbed on to the top of the subway entrance at West 34th Street, precariously jumping up and down.
In an increasingly dangerous move, one member of the crew dramatically swept his broom side to side, inching closer and closer to the edge of the platform.
One fan, dressed in a SpiderMan costume, clambered to the top of a lamp post, waving a Knicks fan back and forth as he teetered on a narrow ledge.
Meanwhile, those who had soaked up the action from Radio City Hall, where an official watch party had been hosted, also spilled out onto the streets, sending the heart of New York City into a frenzy.
Elsewhere in the five boroughs, car horns provided the evening soundtrack for the city that never sleeps.
In Brooklyn, a crowd blocked an entire intersection in Fort Greene as they threw a spontaneous block party, blasting music from speakers they had dragged onto the street.
The Knicks were an unstoppable force on the court, by as many as 29 in the first half and were up 68-49 at halftime. It was the fourth time this postseason the Knicks were up by at least 19 after 24 minutes.
Karl Anthony-Towns, pictured driving to the basket, had 19 points and 14 rebounds
New York was backed by its host of famous fans, including Timothee Chalamet
The Marty Supreme star had made the journey to Ohio to cheer on his beloved team
Unbelievably, their dominance only grew in the second half with them extending the gap to 45 points in the fourth quarter – the largest lead of the game.
Karl Anthony-Towns had 19 points and 14 rebounds, while OG Anunoby scored 17 to see the Knicks rout the Cavaliers.
Landry Shamet scored 16 off the bench while Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson had 15 apiece for the Knicks.
Brunson, who has shone throughout the Knicks’ dominant playoff run, was unanimously named Eastern Conference Finals MVP – to no surprise.
The guard appeared emotional as he was awarded the Larry Bird Trophy by ESPN’s Lisa Salters.
With the victory, New York became the fourth team to have an 11-game winning streak during their postseason run.
The last to do it was Golden State, which had a 15-game run en route to its second title in three seasons in 2017.
The Knicks pulled their starters with 7:47 remaining and a 35-point lead as their large contingent of fans loudly chanted ‘Knicks in four!’
Jalen Brunson appeared emotional as he was awarded the Eastern Conference Finals MVP
Based on the decibel level and ‘Let’s Go Knicks!’ chants throughout the game, New York fans seemed to have made the journey, even outnumbering Clevelanders, who are holding out hope that the Cavs can somehow overcome an 0-3 deficit in the series.
Among the New York A-list celebrities on hand were former Knicks players Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier and Allan Houston.
New York will play the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. The Western Conference finals is tied at two games apiece with Game 5 to be played in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
The Thunder or Spurs will have homecourt advantage when the Finals start on June 3 because of a better regular-season record.
This will be the Knicks third appearance in the Finals since winning their last title in 1973. They lost in seven games to Houston in 1994 and in five to San Antonio in 1999.
It is the 15th time since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 that a coach has reached the finals in his first year with a team. The Knicks hired Mike Brown after parting ways with Tom Thibodeau after they reached the Eastern Conference finals last year, but lost in six games to Indiana.
It will be Brown’s second trip to the Finals as a coach. His last trip was with Cleveland in 2007.
Donovan Mitchell had 31 points for Cleveland, which was swept in a postseason series for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals against Golden State.
Donovan Mitchell had 31 points for Cleveland but wasn’t enough to prevent the defeat
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson appears concerned on the bench in the third quarter
Mitchell scored the Cavaliers first eight points as they jumped out to an 8-2 lead. Cleveland led 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 remaining in the first quarter when New York went on a 20-0 run over a five-minute span. The Knicks were 8 of 14 from the field, including four 3-pointers. The bench scored 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers by Shamet. The seventh-year guard was 11 of 12 from beyond the arc during the series.
Cleveland was 0 for 9 from the field during its drought, including missing all three shots from beyond the arc, and committed four turnovers.
