The Knicks sweep Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals 2026 is complete, and New York didn’t just get to the NBA Finals, they steamrolled everyone in their path. A 130-93 demolition in Game 4 on Monday night ended it in Cleveland, giving the Knicks their first Finals appearance since 1999. Twenty-seven years. A whole generation of fans who never saw their team on that stage.
The final score was brutal. The biggest lead hit 45 points. New York pulled its starters with nearly eight minutes left, fans chanting “Knicks in four” from their seats in Cleveland. The Cavaliers, who had the best record in the East this season, were made to look ordinary from the first quarter onward. This wasn’t a close series at any point.
Eleven wins in a row. All but one by double digits. An average margin of victory of 23.7 points across the postseason. Per NBA.com, the Knicks set the record as statistically the best-shooting playoff team of all time. That’s the team heading to the Finals.
| Game | Date | Location | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | May 20 | New York | NYK 115 – CLE 104 |
| Game 2 | May 22 | New York | NYK 109 – CLE 93 |
| Game 3 | May 24 | Cleveland | NYK 121 – CLE 108 |
| Game 4 | May 25 | Cleveland | NYK 130 – CLE 93 |
Knicks sweep Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals 2026
Cleveland actually drew first blood in Game 4. Donovan Mitchell scored the Cavaliers’ first eight points, and Cleveland led 17-16 midway through the first quarter. For about four minutes it looked like there might be a game here.
Then New York went on a 20-0 run.
Eight of 14 from the field during that stretch, four threes, and Cleveland went 0-for-9 at the other end with four turnovers. The Knicks led 36-17 going into the second quarter and never came close to losing that lead. By halftime it was 68-49. The game had a winner long before the fourth quarter started.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and went 3-of-3 from three in what was a textbook KAT performance: efficient, physical on the glass, and decisive whenever the ball found him in space. Off the bench, Landry Shamet was ridiculous. Sixteen points, 4-of-4 from three, 100% from the field. Shamet went 11-of-12 from beyond the arc across the entire series. That’s the kind of shooting that makes a team impossible to scheme against.
OG Anunoby added 17 points and 11 fast break points. Josh Hart had only 6 points but grabbed 11 rebounds, dished 6 assists, and was a plus-20 on the night. Jalen Brunson had 15 and 5 assists, managing the game more than dominating it, which is exactly what a team in that position should do.
Mitchell finished with 31 for Cleveland. He was the only Cavalier who showed up. Cleveland’s turnovers told the real story: 22 giveaways, 34 points conceded off them. Against a team that runs as fast and as relentlessly as these Knicks, that’s a death sentence.
Key Performers in the Series Clincher
Double-double, efficient, decisive. Towns was the anchor all series — scoring, rebounding, and spacing the floor simultaneously. Cleveland had no answer for him at either end.
Perfect shooting night off the bench. Went 11-of-12 from three across the whole series. When your backup guard shoots like this, your offense becomes genuinely unguardable.
The engine on the transition attack. Anunoby turned Cleveland’s turnovers into buckets all night, went 4-of-5 on fast break attempts, and held his defensive assignments in check throughout.
Did everything he could. Scored the first eight points, finished with 31. But Cleveland committed 22 turnovers behind him, and Mitchell can’t win a game on his own when the rest of the team hands New York 34 points.
Brunson Wins ECF MVP After a Postseason Run for the Ages
Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series. Across the full postseason, he’s averaged 27.8 points and 6.7 assists. Those are numbers that put him in genuine MVP of the Finals conversation, depending on who the Knicks face out West.
“I feel like the word ‘hope’ has been gone from the New York Knicks name for a long time and for me to be part of this team that revives hope is something special.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, after Game 4Brunson wasn’t even the best player on the floor in Game 4 statistically, which tells you everything about how deep this Knicks team is. He scored 15, ran the offense, and let Towns, Anunoby, and Shamet take over when the game was already decided. That’s a mark of a winning team, not just a winning player.
The Knicks scored the most points in NBA Playoff history without a single player reaching 20 points in Game 4. Fifty-eight bench points. Thirty-three fast break points. Thirty-two second-chance points off 20 offensive rebounds. Those numbers belong to a team playing at a different level to everyone they’ve faced.
The New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals — What This Moment Means
The last time the Knicks were in the Finals was 1999. Patrick Ewing was still on the roster. Most of this current team wasn’t born yet. For a franchise with the market, the history, and the fan base of New York, 27 years without a Finals appearance isn’t just a drought, it’s a generational failure that finally ends tonight.
Three playoff series, three clinching wins on the road, all three by at least 30 points. They beat Atlanta by 51 in the first round, Philadelphia by 30 in the second, and Cleveland by 37 tonight. Per CNN’s series recap, those are the three biggest clinching wins in a single postseason by any team in NBA history. That’s not a hot streak. That’s a statement.
First Finals Appearance Since 1999
The Knicks’ last Finals was the lockout-shortened 1999 season, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 as the #8 seed. Before that, their last championship was 1973. This team has a chance to end one of the longest title droughts in NBA history for one of the league’s most storied franchises.
Cleveland, for their part, were swept in a postseason series for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals against Golden State. Donovan Mitchell played well enough. Evan Mobley had moments. But the Cavaliers simply couldn’t match New York’s depth, shooting, or transition intensity over four games. Coach Kenny Atkinson was gracious: “They’re playing better basketball. You got to give them credit. They’re on a heater.”
That’s an understatement.
Who Do the Knicks Face in the Finals?
The Western Conference Finals between OKC and San Antonio is currently 3-2 in favor of the Thunder, with Game 6 in San Antonio on May 29. The Knicks will wait to find out their opponent, with the WCF series tracker updated after every game.
Both matchups are compelling. OKC are the defending champions with the reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a young core, and a 13-2 playoff record over the last two years. San Antonio have Victor Wembanyama, the unanimous DPOY, who has been averaging 35.5 points in the WCF and is the most unique defensive challenge in the league. Either way, New York will not be favored on paper.
But this Knicks team hasn’t cared much about paper all postseason. Eleven wins. No close calls. The biggest margins in Finals-clinching game history. They arrive in the NBA Finals as the hottest team in basketball, full stop.
The Finals begin June 3. New York hasn’t won a championship since 1973. This city has been waiting a long time for a night like this.
Frequently Asked Questions
The New York Knicks last appeared in the NBA Finals in 1999, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1. That was the lockout-shortened season in which the Knicks qualified as the #8 seed. Their only championship came in 1973, when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jalen Brunson was named the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals MVP, winning the Larry Bird Trophy. He averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series against Cleveland, and 27.8 points and 6.7 assists across the full postseason.
New York went 11-0 in the 2026 playoffs, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the ECF, and winning the first round over Atlanta in six. All but one of their 11 wins came by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 23.7 points. Their three series-clinching wins all came on the road and all by at least 30 points.
The Knicks will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. OKC lead that series 3-2 as of May 27, with Game 6 scheduled for May 29 in San Antonio. The NBA Finals begin on June 3.
The Knicks won Game 4 130-93 in Cleveland to complete the sweep. New York led by as many as 45 points and pulled their starters with nearly eight minutes remaining. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 19 points and 14 rebounds; Donovan Mitchell scored 31 in a losing effort for Cleveland.
