Knicks surge into first NBA Finals since 1999 after sweeping Cavaliers
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CLEVELAND, May 25, 2026 — The New York Knicks completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, booking the franchise’s first trip to the NBA Finals in 27 years and extending their postseason winning streak to 11 double-digit victories.
New York’s run puts the club four wins from its first championship since 1973. Point guard Jalen Brunson, named Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference finals, is attempting to become only the third player 6-foot-2 or shorter to lead a team to a title, joining Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry.
Promises kept
Owner James Dolan set the bar on Jan. 5, telling WFAN radio the Knicks “absolutely have to” reach the Finals and “should” win them. At that moment, the club was mired in a 2-9 skid that included a 31-point loss to the Detroit Pistons the same night.
Five months later, Boston exited in the opening round against Philadelphia, Detroit fell to Cleveland in seven games, and the Knicks routed each opponent in their path — beating Atlanta by 51, Philadelphia by 30 and Cleveland by 37 during the run.
Building around Brunson
Since signing Brunson as a free agent in 2022, team president Leon Rose has reshaped the roster to complement the guard. New York sent five first-round picks to acquire Mikal Bridges, traded for Josh Hart in 2023, added OG Anunoby in 2024 and dealt for Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of the 2024-25 training camp. The moves emphasized perimeter defense and floor spacing while ceding offensive control to Brunson.
Brunson’s postseason play has already eliminated Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as well as Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid in previous years, and his rise reportedly influenced Giannis Antetokounmpo to explore a future partnership in New York last summer.
Coaching change pays off
Dolan dismissed popular coach Tom Thibodeau last June despite a conference-final appearance, citing concerns that Thibodeau’s demanding style drained players physically and emotionally. Veteran coach Mike Brown — fired by Sacramento in December 2024 and previously let go twice by Cleveland — took over and, after a scrutinized regular season, has guided New York through the most dominant playoff stretch in franchise history.
The Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 against Cleveland, winning in overtime and effectively breaking the Cavaliers’ resistance. “We can get out of any situation,” Towns said at Monday morning’s shootaround. “As long as we believe in the goal and lean on each other.”
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for next week. New York needs four more victories to end a championship drought that predates the ABA–NBA merger.
Source: ESPN
