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may 26 2026CLEVELAND. The New York Knicks delivered another dominant playoff performance, crushing the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 to sweep the Eastern Conference Finals and return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
New York completed the sweep with another dominant collective effort led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while OG Anunoby added 17 points and Landry Shamet punished from the bench with 16 points. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges contributed 15 points each in another night where Mike Brown's Cavaliers were completely overwhelmed.
The Knicks continue to put together a historic playoff run. The team has now strung together eleven consecutive postseason victories, something only three other teams had accomplished previously in recent NBA history. The last precedent was the Golden State Warriors in 2017, a season that ended with a championship for the California franchise.
Moreover, the Knicks' dominance has been absolutely brutal. All victories except one have come by double digits, and the average margin during this streak has reached 23.7 points per game.
The game started with a brief offensive push from Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell scored the Cavaliers' first eight points and allowed the home team to take a small early lead. Evan Mobley put the score at 17-14 midway through the first quarter and it seemed Cleveland might try to extend the series.
But that's essentially where the game ended.
The New York Knicks began to elevate their defensive intensity and the game completely changed direction. The visitors started to dominate the glass, punished every turnover, and constantly accelerated the pace in transition.
A 9-0 run delivered the first serious blow to the game, and shortly after came the stretch that definitively destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With the score still relatively close after a Mitchell layup made it 30-26, New York strung together a devastating 20-0 run over five minutes that completely silenced the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Landry Shamet once again became a decisive factor off the bench. The shooting guard hit two consecutive three-pointers during that stretch and finished putting together a spectacular series from beyond the arc, closing out the series with an impressive 11 of 12 from three-point range.
The physical and energetic gap between both teams became enormous.
The Knicks completely dominated second-chance points, crushing Cleveland 32-5 on offensive rebounds. They also dominated in transition with a devastating 33-9 advantage in fast-break points.
Karl-Anthony Towns once again made a difference inside from the opening half and already reached halftime with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. New York went into the locker room leading 68-49 and the feeling was already that the series was completely decided.
The second half turned into a celebration for the New York fans, who once again completely took over the visiting arena. Chants of "Knicks in four" continuously rained down from the stands as Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, and Timothée Chalamet celebrated another historic night for the franchise.
Mike Brown was even able to pull his starters with almost eight minutes remaining and a 35-point lead with the game completely decided. The largest margin reached 45 points in the fourth quarter.
Jalen Brunson was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists during the series.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell finished with 31 points, though he was left too isolated offensively once again. James Harden closed the night with just 12 points on 2 of 8 shooting.
The elimination leaves enormous disappointment for the Cavaliers, who fall swept in a playoff series for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
Now the New York Knicks will await their opponent in the NBA Finals, where they will face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs. And seeing the level displayed during these weeks, the New York franchise is no longer just dreaming of a return… they're now starting to seriously believe in a championship.
