25-26 Knicks Advance to First NBA Finals Since 1999

On Sunday, May 24th, the San Antonio Spurs tied up the Western Conference Final at two games apiece. A day later, the New York Knicks came to Cleveland looking for a sweep against the Cavaliers and did just that by dominating the Cavs on their own home court with a near 40-point win of 130-93. This will be the Knicks’ first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, 27 years in the making, as this 25-26 New York team made history, giving fans all over the world a reason to tune in and root for a team that won a total of 17 games 11 years ago. Now, they’ll have another week’s worth of rest as they prepare for either the Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2026 NBA Finals.

Brunson Will Always Be the Leader of This Knicks Team

Whether it’s for the next five, 10, or 15 years, Jalen Brunson will be the leader of the New York Knicks franchise. When he first signed with New York in July 2022, many called his signing outrageous and thought he would never bring this Knicks team to the promise land. Almost four years later, New York is back in the Finals, a long 27 years overdue. This run to the Finals is largely in part due to Brunson’s magical performance that helped the Knicks reach 11 consecutive wins in these 2026 playoffs.

Cleveland Had No Answers

Besides Donovan Mitchell, who scored 31 points, the Cavs’ offense looked nonexistent. James Harden finished with 12 points while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 21 points. Cleveland fought hard during the first 12 minutes of this game, but could not find any answers after that. While they had a great season, this sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals surely has to sting.

Another Week’s Rest for New York

Heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks had about a week’s worth of rest. Now they’ll have eight days of rest before playing in their first NBA Finals in 27 years. For New York, this has been a moment fans have been waiting on for a very long time. Now, they’ll get to see that dream play out as they seek their first NBA Championship since 1973.