The New York Knicks are going back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. A 130-93 demolition of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday completed a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals and extended New York's playoff win streak to 11 games.
The scale of the closeout was historic. The Knicks' 130 points were the most ever scored in a playoff game without a single 20-point scorer, the product of an offence that spread the ball rather than leaning on one star. New York has now clinched all three of its playoff series on the road, each by at least 30 points — a feat no team had previously managed even once by 20.
Landry Shamet, who buried 11 of his 12 three-point attempts across the series, summed up the moment on Inside the NBA. "It's crazy. My first finals, and obviously that's super exciting and feels good," he said. "We want to obviously enjoy this, but at the same time, same breath, we've got a larger goal here. We've got four more wins to try to go get, and we know it's going to be even harder."
Shamet credited the team's even-keeled identity for the run. "When we're at our best, we stick to our principles, play within ourselves, play fast, and rely on each other," he said. "It could be a different guy every night." He also offered a knowing tribute to the travelling support: "Knicks fans are a specific species of human that should be studied. They take over arenas. Everywhere you walk in the city, that's what you hear."
For Cleveland, the sweep was a sobering end to a season of high expectations. Head coach Kenny Atkinson refused to hide behind the roster. "I'm disappointed — disappointed for the group," Atkinson said. "From a coaching standpoint, normally you'd say, 'I wish we had this player-wise, roster-wise.' I can't say that. Ownership and the front office gifted us with a wonderful, talented roster."
Atkinson tried to frame the defeat as a stepping stone. "We took a step. This is kind of how this works — you have to keep climbing," he said. "There's no bigger motivator to get to the next level. I'm proud of this group in terms of how they fought through adversity."
The Inside the NBA panel was less forgiving. Charles Barkley, who had backed the Cavaliers after their midseason acquisition of James Harden, said simply that they "weren't good enough" and "didn't play any defense," calling it "embarrassing to get swept." Kenny Smith argued the loss exposed Cleveland's structural flaws, contending that the Cavaliers must overhaul an offensive philosophy that too often slowed into ball-dominant, late-clock dribbling and instead involve their interior players the way New York spread its scoring.
Jalen Brunson collected the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award and the Bob Cousy Trophy. The Knicks will now wait on the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, with seven to 10 days of rest before Game 1.
