Knicks Sweep Cavaliers and Punch First NBA Finals Ticket Since 1999, Brunson Named ECF MVP
The wait is over.
The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference Finals and book their first NBA Finals trip since 1999. Jalen Brunson was named ECF MVP. He has spent the entire postseason proving he belongs on the short list of best point guards in basketball. He sealed it this week.
The Knicks have won 11 in a row. They have not lost a game in over a month. Their point differential during the streak is plus-262. They are playing the best basketball of any team alive right now, and they have nine days to rest before the Finals tip off on June 3.
This is the moment Knicks fans have been waiting for since Latrell Sprewell was their guy. Bill Clinton was still in office the last time New York reached the Finals. Patrick Ewing was the franchise center. Madison Square Garden was loud, but in a sad, defensive way, because the team was always good and never quite great.
This team is different. Brunson has been a problem all year. He averaged 28.3 points per game in the playoffs, hit huge shots in every series, and led the Knicks through three rounds without ever losing back to back. Karl-Anthony Towns has been the second star and the offensive hub. OG Anunoby has shut down opposing wings. Mikal Bridges has played his best basketball as a Knick. Josh Hart has been the connective tissue.
Tom Thibodeau, the coach who was supposed to burn out his guys with too many minutes, has somehow managed his rotation perfectly all postseason. The criticism about Thibs not trusting his bench has gone quiet because the bench has been productive when called upon and the starters have stayed fresh.
The Cavs ran out of answers. Donovan Mitchell was great in spots but never sustained it. Darius Garland struggled with the Knicks’ physicality. Evan Mobley got into foul trouble. Jarrett Allen was undersized against Towns at times. Kenny Atkinson’s first playoff run as Cleveland’s head coach ended with a sweep.
Now New York waits. The Western Conference Finals are still going. The Thunder lead the Spurs 3-2 heading into Thursday’s Game 6 in San Antonio. If OKC wins, the Knicks face the deepest team in basketball. If the Spurs force a Game 7 and win, New York gets Victor Wembanyama in the biggest stage of his young career.
Either matchup is fascinating. The Thunder are favored across most books. They were the best regular season team in the league. They have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP. They have Chet Holmgren protecting the rim. They are tested.
The Spurs have Wembanyama, who is matchup-proof when he is right. They have De’Aaron Fox running the show. They have a deep bench and a clear identity. If they push to a Game 7 and win, the entire narrative of the playoffs shifts.
For Knicks fans, none of that matters right now. The team is in the Finals. The mayor cracked a Ricky Martin joke about how long it has been. The Garden is going to be electric. Spike Lee is courtside. And Brunson, the kid whose father was on that 1999 team, is the star.
This is the script. June 3 cannot get here fast enough.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
