Knicks Sweep Cavaliers to Reach First NBA Finals Since 1999. Jalen Brunson Just Joined a Very Short List.
The New York Knicks did to the Cleveland Cavaliers what no one in the East has done in 27 years. They closed out a conference final with a sweep and earned a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
The closeout was a 130-93 demolition in Cleveland on Monday night. The Knicks led by 45 at one point. Jalen Brunson walked off the floor with the Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series.
If you missed it, here is the box score that tells the story. Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 and 14. OG Anunoby scored 17. Landry Shamet came off the bench for 16. Mikal Bridges and Brunson had 15 apiece. Six different Knicks scored in double figures. New York had 11 straight playoff wins to close the series, the fourth team in NBA history to do that during a single postseason.
Jalen Brunson Is the Story
Brunson was drafted 33rd overall by Dallas in 2018. He played four years there as the backup. The Mavericks let him walk in free agency. He signed with the Knicks for $104 million.
Four years later he is a Conference Finals MVP, a borderline top five guard in basketball, and the face of the franchise that has not been to the Finals since the Clinton administration. The Mavericks decision is going to be in basketball books for a generation.
Brunson is now on the very short list of point guards under 6-foot-3 who have led a team to the NBA Finals as the primary engine. Allen Iverson did it in 2001. Isiah Thomas did it twice in the late 80s. Brunson just put himself in that company.
What the Knicks Are Up Against
The Western Conference Finals between the Thunder and Spurs is tied 3-2. New York could be looking at either Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the best player on the floor or Victor Wembanyama as the best big man.
If it is OKC, the Knicks will be the experience team against a young, athletic, deep team that has been the best regular season team in basketball. If it is San Antonio, the Knicks will be the deeper roster against a top-heavy team carried by a generational talent.
Either way, the Knicks should be favored. They have the better point guard. They have the better depth. They have an arena that turns into Madison Square Garden in June, which is a real basketball advantage.
The Verdict
This is the first time since the 1990s that the Knicks have walked into the NBA Finals as anything other than an underdog. They are favored. They are deeper. They are healthier than they have been in three years.
Mike Brown coached the kind of postseason that ends with a contract extension. Tom Thibodeau is on the Bulls bench in this scenario. Brown picked up the pieces, kept Brunson healthy, and unlocked Karl-Anthony Towns in ways no one else had.
The Knicks have not held the Larry O’Brien trophy since 1973. Game 1 is June 3. The wait might be ending. The city is ready.
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.
