The New York Knicks have been waiting 27 years for this moment. Through rebuilds, disappointments, and three combined playoff series wins between 2001 and 2024, the franchise that calls Madison Square Garden home never found its way back to the NBA Finals.
On Monday night in Cleveland, that drought ended in emphatic fashion.
A 130-93 blowout in Game 4 completed a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers and sent the Knicks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The building erupted. The fans who had made the trip from New York outnumbered Cleveland supporters inside the arena. Celebrity supporters including Spike Lee and Timothée Chalamet celebrated alongside them.
For Karl-Anthony Towns, it meant everything.
Towns Delivers Emotional Reaction
GettyKarl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks.
Towns grew up a Knicks fan. He has spoken throughout this season about what it means to play for the franchise he rooted for as a kid, and Monday night brought all of that emotion to the surface.
After the final buzzer, Towns reflected on what this moment represented for the city and for a team that has worked to restore hope to a fanbase that had been waiting a long time. He finished the game with a team-high 19 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Knicks in both categories in a dominant performance that helped close out the series in style.
“It means the world,” Towns said, a simple phrase that captured everything.
How the Knicks Got Here
GettyJalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
The run has been historic. New York has won 11 consecutive playoff games by an average of 23.8 points. They swept both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cavaliers in back-to-back rounds after falling behind Atlanta 2-1 in the opening round.
Monday’s closeout game was never in doubt. The Knicks ended the first quarter with an 8-0 run. They opened the second with 12 unanswered points to lead 50-26 at the half. Landry Shamet went 4-for-4 from three off the bench for 16 points. Jalen Brunson added 15 without a turnover.
Brunson’s journey carries its own weight. He was two years old the last time the Knicks reached the Finals in 1999. His father Rick was a guard on that team. Now the son is leading New York back.
“They give me the confidence. They let me be me,” Brunson said of his teammates.
What Comes Next
The Knicks will await the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, with that series tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Tuesday. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is June 3.
If New York can sweep the Finals, they would equal the NBA’s all-time postseason win streak record of 15 set by the Golden State Warriors in 2017. The Knicks’ last two championships came in 1970 and 1973. A third would complete one of the more remarkable turnarounds in recent sports history.
The city is already dreaming about it.
Final Word for the Knicks
Towns said it means the world. The fans in Cleveland who made the trip, the ones celebrating in New York, and the franchise that has been building toward this moment all feel the same way.
The Knicks are back on the biggest stage. The Finals await.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Drops Emotional Quote After Reaching NBA Finals