NEW YORK Knicks punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years after overwhelming Cleveland Cavaliers, 130-93, to complete a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night (Tuesday in the Philippines) in Cleveland, Ohio.
Karl-Anthony Towns anchored the dominant victory with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Ogugua “OG” Anunoby chipped in 17 markers as New York controlled the game from the second quarter onward.
Landry Shamet added 16 points off the bench, with Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges contributing 15 each as the Knicks stretched their postseason winning streak to 11 games.
The franchise will now await the winner of the Western Conference finals between Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. That series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled this morning in Oklahoma City.
The Knicks are making only their third Finals appearance since capturing the NBA championship in 1973. They previously fell to the Houston Rockets in 1994 and the Spurs in 1999.
Cleveland opened strongly behind Donovan Mitchell, who scored the Cavaliers’ first eight points. However, the momentum quickly shifted after New York answered with a huge scoring burst late in the opening quarter.
Trailing 17-14, the Knicks strung together a 9-0 run before later exploding for 20 unanswered points across a five-minute stretch. Cleveland struggled badly during that span, missing all nine field-goal attempts and turning the ball over four times.
New York’s bench also played a major role in the blowout. Shamet knocked down two triples in the opening period and continued his hot shooting series from long range.
By halftime, the Knicks already held a 68-49 advantage with Towns posting a double-double before the break. The visitors continued to pile on in the second half, pushing the lead to as many as 45 points in the fourth quarter.
Mitchell top-scored for the Cavaliers with 31 points. The defeat to the Knicks marked the franchise’s first postseason sweep since the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors./PN
