Knicks sweep Cavaliers, reach NBA Finals after 27 years

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The New York Knicks brought out the orange brooms after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 130-93, to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

The last time New York went to the NBA Finals, Joseph “Erap” Estrada was still the Philippines’ president, the internet was just starting to emerge, and the animated show “SpongeBob SquarePants” had made its debut on television.

Twenty-seven long years of waiting.

Now, the Knicks will have another golden opportunity to end their 53-year NBA championship drought.

Will this be their year?

On May 26, 2026, New York officially ended the Cavaliers’ comeback attempt after playing major spoiler, crushing them by 37 points in front of a hopeful Cleveland crowd that had yet to witness its franchise win a single game in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Instead of relaxing, the Knicks continued to play their brand of basketball, frustrating the Cavaliers with their crisp ball movement and efficient 3-point shooting.

It’s insane how a team could stay consistent on both ends of the floor for four straight games.

After a miraculous 22-point comeback in Game 1, New York stamped its masterclass on the Cavaliers and didn’t give them any room to breathe.

For the second straight game on the road, the Knicks looked like they were still lacing up their shoes in Madison Square Garden as Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the rest of New York turned Rocket Arena into their practice facility.

Total domination at its finest.

After a brief Cleveland run in the opening quarter, New York always had answers, turning an eight-point deficit into a 12-point lead at the end of the first 12 minutes of action, 38-26.

To pull off the insane recovery, the Knicks scored a total of 13 fast-break points, tallied 14 points on 12 assists, and shot an efficient 15-of-27 to head to the next quarter with oozing confidence.

Just when the Cavaliers thought they could bank on Donovan Mitchell’s red-hot start, the Knicks had other plans as they kicked off the second quarter with an 8-0 run behind Landry Shamet and Miles McBride’s back-to-back 3-pointers.

From the final 5:11 of the first quarter to the next three minutes of the second frame, New York sent an early exclamation point as it held the Cavaliers scoreless en route to a 50-26 advantage.

James Harden stopped Cleveland’s bleeding after cashing in three shots from the free throw line, but New York countered with a massive run to establish a 29-point cushion.

From that sequence, the Cavaliers never looked the same.

At home, playing in front of 19,432 fans, their body language seemed off.

Several questionable plays, poor decision-making, and poor shot selection doomed Cleveland’s comeback attempt.

What’s worse is that the entire New York bench outscored the 1-2 punch of Harden and Mitchell in the third quarter alone.

With 7:47 left in the fourth quarter and the lead already ballooning to 30 points, Cleveland finally conceded as it pulled out all its starters, including the frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Another balanced offensive attack propelled the Knicks to a lopsided playoff win, led by Towns’ double-double performance of 19 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

OG Anunoby backstopped Towns with 17 markers in just 27 minutes, while the duo of Brunson and Mikal Bridges scored 15 points apiece.

Brunson was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 25.5 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds during the sweep.

The Knicks will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.