The New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, completing a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 130-93 rout in Game 4 on May 26.
Jalen Brunson was unanimously named Eastern Conference Finals MVP, receiving all nine votes from the media panel after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series on 48.7% shooting. His 38-point masterpiece in Game 1, which featured a comeback from 22 points down in the fourth quarter, set the tone for the entire series.
A Roster Built to Win Now
The Knicks entered the playoffs with a core assembled through aggressive trades: Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart brought in, Karl-Anthony Towns acquired from Minnesota as the final piece, and coach Mike Brown installed last summer to pull it together. The group rattled off 11 straight playoff wins on the way to the Finals.
The Western Challenge Awaits
New York's opponent will be the San Antonio Spurs, who survived a seven-game war with Oklahoma City behind Victor Wembanyama. The Finals tip off June 3, with a franchise that has not won a title since 1973 four wins from ending one of American sports' longest droughts.
