The New York Knicks punched their ticket to the 2026 NBA Finals after blowing out the Cleveland Cavaliers, 130-93, to complete the sweep in Game 4 on Tuesday.
In only his second season with the team, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks to their first Finals appearance with a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds.
“We knew our team was capable of doing this, all we had to do was put the work in, continue to believe in each other… and that’s what we did, and that’s why we’re here right now,” Towns said postgame.
Knicks Advance to Title Round as Jalen Brunson Wins ECF MVP
After waiting 27 years, Madison Square Garden has now been the closest it’s ever been to the illustrious NBA championship.
Winning their 11th straight playoff game, including back-to-back series sweeps, the Knicks now await the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. This series as level at two games apiece.
Spitfire guard Jalen Brunson was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists per game and notching all nine votes from the media.
Despite the blowout, no Knick scored more than 20 points—marking the largest victory in playoff history without a 20-point scorer.
Brunson added 15 points and 5 assists in the victory, while OG Anunoby added 17 markers.
Harden Struggles in Series as Cavs’ Season Ends in a Sweep
With the loss, Cleveland’s Finals drought now extends to eight years, failing to reach the championship round in the post-LeBron James era.
Trailing by as much as 45 points, the Cavs shot an abysmal 27% from deep in their elimination game while also committing 22 turnovers.
Donovan Mitchell paced the wine-and-gold in the loss with 31 points and 4 rebounds, while Evan Mobley added 15 markers.
Meanwhile, James Harden—who was dealt to the wine-and-gold to bolster their championship aspirations—struggled all series, averaging just 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists on an abysmal 39% from the field and 18% from three. The Beard finished with just 12 points in Game 4.
The Knicks will wait at least two more games to determine the West Finals’ winner.
