Knicks Sweep Cavaliers, Reach NBA Finals for First Time Since 1999

The New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 after routing the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-76 on Monday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, completing a 4-0 sweep at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

The victory sent New York to the 2026 NBA Finals and ended a 27-year gap between Finals appearances for one of the league’s most closely watched franchises. The Knicks last reached the championship series during the 1998-99 season.

Monday’s clincher was New York’s 11th straight playoff win and its second consecutive series sweep. The Knicks also swept the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, closing out that series on May 10. By sweeping Philadelphia and Cleveland in back-to-back rounds, New York powered through the top half of the Eastern Conference bracket without dropping a game.

Now the Knicks wait to learn their opponent in the NBA Finals. New York will face the winner of the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. That series was tied 2-2 as of the Knicks’ clinch after San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 103-82 in Game 4 on May 24.

The clinch marks a significant milestone for New York, which had not returned to the Finals in nearly three decades. The Knicks’ last trip came in 1999, and Monday’s win finally ended that drought in decisive fashion.

For a team that has surged through the postseason, the Eastern Conference title was secured with little late-round drama. New York finished off Cleveland by 35 points and carried the momentum of its earlier sweep of Philadelphia into another dominant series result.

“Jalen is the MVP,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said, according to CBS Sports’ Game 4 coverage.

The Knicks now move on to the league’s championship round with their longest playoff winning streak of this postseason and a chance to compete for the franchise’s first title since the 1970s.