CLEVELAND — Next.
History was made. Redemption was secured.
Next comes the biggest stage in the sport. Next comes the chance to end the drought that matters most.
Next comes the chance for glory.
It felt like the Knicks couldn’t be bothered with this series any longer. The Cavaliers, too, in the opposite manner. And it produced another epic blowout, as the Knicks bludgeoned the Cavs 130-93 on Monday night at Rocket Arena to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
“I truly felt that this team was an NBA Finals team,” coach Mike Brown said. “I thought we had a true opportunity. Some jobs you take, you’re like, ‘OK, we can get better, we have a chance to make the playoffs.’ But this one, I felt we legitimately had a chance.”
Owner James Dolan’s Finals-or-bust mandate has now been fulfilled — in emphatic fashion. The Knicks stormed past the conference finals roadblock that they couldn’t get past last year.
The 21st century had never witnessed or experienced the absolute mania that surrounds a Knicks Finals run. Finally, at long last, it’s arrived.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, center, holds the Eastern Conference Championship trophy after Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. AP Photo/Sue OgrockiAnd it’s provided every reason to believe the Knicks are not close to being finished. Every reason to believe that these surging Knicks can conquer either the Thunder or Spurs — who are tied 2-2 — and win their first championship since 1973.
This tour de force has so far ripped through Atlanta, Philadelphia and Cleveland. There has been minimal resistance on the way. Since midway through the first round, this is now an incredible 11-game winning streak. Only one of those wins was by single digits. There are so many new records set with each passing game that it makes your head spin.
It’s back-to-back overpowering series sweeps. It’s three straight closeout games in which Knicks fans completely took over the opposing arena. It’s a full-circle moment for Brown, who reached the Finals against the team he made his last Finals appearance with — in 2007 — and that fired him twice. It’s the latest — and so far, most meaningful — feat of the Jalen Brunson era as he keeps rising higher and higher on the hierarchy of Knicks legends.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) goes up for a shot as Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) jumps to defend during the fourth quarter of Game 4. Charles Wenzelberg/New York PostIt’s a long-awaited breakthrough for Karl-Anthony Towns, who lost in the conference finals the past two years — with the Timberwolves and Knicks — before finally getting past that hurdle this year. It’s validation for president Leon Rose and all the moves he made, particularly his controversial trade for Mikal Bridges, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career.
It is so, so many things.
“To be part of this team that revives the word ‘hope’ in this city, it’s something special,” Towns said. “It’s something really, really special. And it’s an honor.”
Knicks fans celebrated at Radio City. Michael Nagle for NY PostBrown has repeatedly talked about closeout games being the hardest. At this point, that almost feels like satire. They have won their three closeout games by a combined 118 points. They became the first team to ever win three series-clinchers by at least 20 points in one postseason.
They had broken the Cavs’ spirits by Monday, just like they did with the Hawks and 76ers by the end of those series. This game was much more dismissive than dramatic — the Knicks swatted away the Cavs like a gnat.
“We’ve been locked in on the moment,” Brunson said. “And I think we need to continue to do that.”
Knicks players holding the Eastern Conference Trophy after the game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostIt would be inaccurate to say the Cavs let go of the rope Monday, because they never truly grabbed hold of it in the first place.
The Knicks used a 20-0 run to build their lead. By midway through the second quarter, that lead had ballooned to 29 points. It became a full Knicks party behind enemy lines. An Eastern Conference coronation in somebody else’s house.
The Cavs cut it to 16 by the start of the third quarter, but the Knicks got it back to 27 points by the start of the fourth quarter. Not even Kenny Atkinson’s analytics could save the Cavs. Brown was able to pull his starters and empty his bench for almost the whole fourth quarter.
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The scoring was, once again, perfectly balanced. Towns led the way with 19 (and 14 rebounds), OG Anunoby had 17, Brunson and Bridges had 15 apiece and Josh Hart added six along with 11 rebounds and six assists. Landry Shamet drilled all four 3s he took and provided 16 points off the bench.
The Knicks had a 33-9 advantage in fast-break points, embarrassing the Cavs by beating them down the court over and over again. James Harden had no interest in getting back after misses. He and the Cavs folded like lawn chairs. The Knicks also had a 58-24 edge in bench points.
This was yet another all-around beatdown. They turned the Cavaliers into cadavers.
“I’m sorry for the city of Cleveland for it to be like this in a sweep,” Donovan Mitchell said. “That’s ass.”
That’s the state in which the Knicks left the Cavs.
Next? The Finals.
It’s been a while.
