CLEVELAND — The Knicks are on the verge of sweeping the Cavaliers!
As New York’s basketball team nears a likely sweep in the Eastern Conference finals, Knicks fans are making their presence felt in Cleveland, Ohio, taking advantage of the more affordable ticket prices. Some are even arriving equipped to celebrate with brooms in hand.
The Knicks have decisively defeated the Cavaliers in each game of the series so far. A victory in Game 4 at Rocket Arena on Monday night would secure them the conference title and send them straight to the NBA Finals.
With the NBA Finals within reach, ardent Knicks fans are flocking to Cleveland. Many of them hail from the New York tristate area and are seizing the opportunity to support their team in person, as tickets to Madison Square Garden were out of reach for some.
Among the traveling fans is 37-year-old Kevin Grisales, a sanitation worker from Woodside, Queens. He decided to extend his stay in Cleveland for the weekend, hoping to witness his team complete the sweep. Originally planning to return home after Game 3, Grisales opted to stick around for what could be the final game of the series.
“We’re definitely going to the Finals; it’s a done deal,” Grisales confidently told The Post. “We’ll take on whoever comes out of the West. I predict Knicks in six because the Western Conference teams are tough. I’m just being realistic.”
Grisales’ ticket to Game 3, where the Knicks beat the Cavs 121-108, cost just $220 — whereas nosebleeds at MSG sold for more than $700 apiece. He estimates his ticket for Monday’s game at Rocket Arena will still be around $200.
Jose Agosta, who traveled with his son, Julian, from their home in Harlem to Ohio, said the Cleveland tickets are “probably three times or four times more affordable” than the Garden.
Agosta balked at the Cavs fans’ defeatist attitude, despite having the home court advantage.
“We have to win. Their fans gave up since the beginning,” he told The Post.
Other Knicks fans, though, are seizing on the Cavs’ apparent surrender.
Jorge Jimenez, Rich, Matt, and Javon — a quad from New Jersey — parked at the General Moses Cleaveland Statue, each armed with a broom as they swept the pavement.
“I’m showing you right now how it’s going to go down. Let me just get Harden’s ankles out of the way!” Rich joked.
“Knicks in four!” Javon boasted beside him.
Jimenez predicted that Monday’s game would be yet another easy victory for the blue and orange.
“The morale is gone. I think Cleveland already knows. It’s Game 4. The Knicks are playing a dominating game right now. It’s 10 games that we have won. We are just steamrolling right now,” he said.
The Knicks haven’t lost since Game 3 of their First Round series with the Atlanta Hawks on April 23.
Last year, the Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder — last year’s season champion — are currently battling against the San Antonio Spurs in the West Conference finals series.
