130-93. The New York Knicks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 on 25 May 2026 to complete a 4-0 sweep and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The victory in Cleveland extended New York's postseason winning streak to 11 games, and underlined a run in which most of those wins came by comfortable margins. This Knicks will wait to learn whether they face the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs when the Finals begin on Wednesday, 3 June 2026.

The result was decisive from the first whistle. New York blew the game open early, finishing the first quarter on an 8-0 run and opening the second with 12 unanswered points to turn a close contest into a rout. By half-time the Knicks led 61-32, a margin built in large part on long-range accuracy and sudden, sustained pressure.

Knicks ran away early

Landry Shamet was a catalyst off the bench, hitting multiple three-pointers and helping the Knicks push the margin to 61-32 before the break. Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 19 points and 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby added 17 points and the starting backcourt of Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson chipped in 15 apiece. Cleveland struggled to keep possession, surrendering a high number of turnovers, and couldn't recover after the second-quarter collapse.

Donovan Mitchell top-scored for the Cavaliers, but his effort was overwhelmed by New York's collective efficiency. The Cavs, who had not been swept in a post-season series since 2018, simply failed to find consistent offence across the series. The margin of defeat in Game 4 ensured the sweep was emphatic rather than flukey.

Post-season dominance and what comes next

Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference Final MVP after a series in which he led the team with consistent scoring and playmaking. Brunson reflected on the milestone after the game. "It means a lot, but I wouldn't be here without my team-mates, the belief they had in me," he said. The award cements Brunson's role as both scorer and facilitator during the Knicks' run.

Mastheads

The broader numbers underline how thorough New York's post-season has been. The Knicks extended their streak to 11 straight wins, most by comfortable margins, and their playoff form has been dominant. Across the 2026 playoffs New York have outscored opponents comfortably and shown strength on both ends of the court.

Those figures make the sweep feel less like a single series surge and more like the result of a systemic advantage.

Cleveland's inability to protect the ball and to string together reliable offensive possessions proved decisive. Turnovers fed transition opportunities, the three-point line punished defensive lapses, and New York's depth meant the Knicks could rotate bodies without losing intensity. Donovan Mitchell's effort in Game 4 was a valiant attempt to stem the tide, but it arrived in a game where the Knicks had already set the tone.

The sweep is historic for the franchise in another respect. New York's last Finals appearance was the 1999 NBA Finals, a series they lost to San Antonio.

The franchise's only NBA championships remain 1970 and 1973. Reaching the Finals closes a long chapter for the club's supporters and opens a new one in which expectations will be sharply higher.

The Knicks must now wait for the Western Conference to conclude. That series is tied 2-2 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. The Western winner will hold home-court advantage when the Finals begin on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. For a Knicks side that has imposed its will through both attack and defence this post-season, the finals represent the final test of a campaign that has been convincing rather than merely fortunate.

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The NBA Finals begin on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, when New York will meet the Western Conference champion, with home-court advantage going to the West winner.

This article was created with AI assistance.