During player introductions, the Knicks fans visiting Rocket Arena tonight were nearly as loud as the home crowd. Can you blame them for being boisterous? Crossing the 53-year desert since the last championship has made us mighty thirsty.
We finally have real reason to believe.
After some fine-tuning in Games Two and Three against the Hawks in the first round, the team that Leon Rose built has become a juggernaut. Tonight, in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals, with their season on the line, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers put up some resistance in the first quarter. Then New York seized the rope midway through the period, methodically went about their business, and piled on a 45-point lead to complete the sweep with a 130-93 victory.
That makes 11 straight wins, returning the orange and blue to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. For the first time this century, they seem unstoppable. They seem inevitable.
From the tipoff, the game plans were obvious. The Knicks planned to push the pace, hurling rebounds down the court for 13 fast-break points in the first period, while the Cavs asked seven-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to save their season. Spida did his best, scoring 12 points in the quarter and finishing with 31 points on 9-of-18 shooting in 32 minutes.
Each team shot poorly early, but improved as the game went on. The visitors capitalized on four Cleveland misses to go on a 9-0 run in the middle of the frame. As he had for most of the series, James Harden bricked multiple times. The vet ended his evening with 12 points and missed all six of his long-range attempts, once again fading into the background on the NBA’s biggest stage.
On the other side, Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, and Brunson all connected from deep, showing yet again the depth of their offense. After falling behind by six, the Knicks outscored the Cavs by 18 to close the quarter ahead, 38-26.
Thanks to two buckets by Jose Alvarado, triples by McBride and the smokin’ hot Shamet (16 PTS, 19 MIN), and a put-back slam by Karl-Anthony Towns (19 PTS, 14 RBS), New York scored 12 unanswered points to start the second quarter. That put them ahead by 24 points. Harden made three free throws and Spida swished one from deep, but they were using paper cups to fight a flood.
The Knicks got buckets from everybody and sprinted the court like Usain Bolt on amphetamines. Everything went right for our heroes. When Brunson stepped to the free-throw line at the midway mark, Rocket Arena thundered with MVP chants. He rebounded his own missed freebie, which promptly became another Shamet bomb for a 29-point lead.
The Ohio Players responded with a 15-3 run, with contributions from Max Strus, Mobley, Harden, and Mitchell, but another acrobatic, falling-away, shot-clock-beating shot by Bridges got the Knicks back on track. At halftime, the good guys were still up, 68-49.
Through the first half, New York protected the ball (four turnovers), cooked in transition (winning fast breaks 26-3), and smashed the glass (26-17). They pummeled Cleveland in the paint and converted nine turnovers into 18 points. Add 17 assists on 25 made shots, and what complaints could you possibly have? The Knicks came to close out the sweep, and the Cavs played like their suitcases were already packed for vacation. Landry Shamet—off the bench—led the way with 11 points, and KAT already had a double-double. Mitchell had 20 for The Land.
The Cavaliers emerged from halftime on a mission to save their dignity. Their defense forced New York into a turnover and a shot-clock violation, and a little run cut the deficit to 16. No sweat. New York just needed a minute or two to regain its rhythm. A steal by Josh Hart, a block by KAT, and back-to-back three-pointers stretched the gap to 22 at the eight-minute mark.
Kenny Atkinson called for time to regroup his troops. Out of that break, OG Anunoby intercepted Harden for a pick-six. Then Merrill and Mitchell both missed from deep, and Allen threw the ball out of bounds. Kenny took a seat as if admitting defeat while New York continued to grind Cleveland’s hopes to powder, dunking its way to a 30-point lead again. Our heroes never stopped running or harassing the Cavs, holding them to just 22 points in the quarter. By the buzzer, they were up 98-71.
Brunson rested through the fourth quarter, taking a well-deserved break. He logged 15 points tonight, but his fingerprints were all over this game just as his identity is all over this team. While he watched from the sidelines, the reserves got to have fun, with Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Jordan Clarkson splashing buckets to reach a 45-point lead. The Cavs fans left early. The Knicks fans stayed for the party.
After the game, Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing presented the team with the Bob Cousy trophy for winning the conference, and then gave Jalen Brunson the series MVP trophy. Lisa Salters interviewed him, but the captain was short on hyperbole, as usual. Because for the incredible Jalen, the job remains incomplete. There are four more wins on his agenda.
Up Next
Professor Miranda is dusting his recap with the usual magic powder. As for the Knicks, they wait to see who their opponent will be. Will it be the Spurs, whom the Knicks defeated for the NBA Cup in Vegas? Or the Thunder, who are trying to flop their way to a second championship? Doesn’t matter to us, the Knicks are ready for either one.
