Knicks crush Cavaliers and advance to the NBA Finals; Towns shines again with double-double

CLEVELAND. – The New York Knicks sealed a resounding 4-0 sweep over the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning this Monday 130-93 in the fourth game of the Eastern Conference Finals, thus ensuring their return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

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The New York franchise will now seek to conquer its first championship since 1973, while waiting for the winner of the Western series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, currently tied 2-2. The Knicks continue to have a dominant postseason, with a record of 12 wins and only two losses, both suffered in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks. Since then, the New York team has strung together eleven consecutive victories, including sweeps over the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cavaliers. In the decisive match played in Cleveland, the Knicks took control early on and never looked back. A devastating 20-0 run between the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second practically sealed the game with a 50-26 lead.

Although the Cavaliers tried to react after the break, getting within 16 points, New York responded immediately with another offensive burst to extinguish any hope of a comeback. In the last quarter, the visitors further extended the difference to reach a maximum lead of 45 points.

Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns once again was a key player for the Knicks by registering another double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby contributed 17 units, Landry Shamet added 16, while Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges finished with 15 points each. By Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell led the attack with 31 points, followed by Evan Mobley with 15 and James Harden with 12, but the Cavaliers never found answers to the offensive onslaught of the visitors. The series marked Cleveland’s return to an Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since LeBron James’ departure in 2018, but the team couldn’t sustain the pace against a Knicks team that looks solid on both sides of the court. Now, New York dreams of returning to the top of the NBA more than five decades after its last title.