The New York Knicks reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, but can they win it all?
The New York Knicks embarrassed an uninspired Cleveland Cavaliers team 130-93 last night at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH to sweep the series 4-0 for a 2nd consecutive time in the playoffs and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
While no particular Knicks player had a phenomenal game to speak of, Karl-Anthony Towns led the team with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks, while team leader Jalen Brunson pitched in with 15 points to go along with 5 assists and 2 rebounds.
Brunson didn’t have a great shooting night, going 6-14 from the field, but he got help from his role players in the starting lineup and some help off of the bench as well to help the Knicks finish the Cavs off in an attempt that looked more like they were ready to go home than try to extend the series and fight for their playoff lives.
“This means a lot, but I wouldn’t be here without my teammates,” Brunson said when asked how he feels getting back to the NBA finals after 27 years and being the guy to lead the team while doing it. Brunson went on to express his gratitude to the fans, organization, players and the coaching staff for having belief in him and seemed ready to get prepared for the next step. The only question moving forward is can the Knicks win it all?
Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s First Take, an avid Knicks fan and a native New Yorker believes so. “The way the Knicks have been playing, the level of production and leadership they have been getting from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the way they are playing, I think they got the personnel and the style of play to do it,” Smith said when asked during a segment if the Knicks can win it all.
The Knicks have not lost a game in the playoffs since the first round, when they lost games two and three to the Atlanta Hawks and winning that series 4-2, but since then they have shown progression and have looked like a serious championship caliber team. The only issue that most Knicks fans should be concerned about is the level of opposition that awaits them in either winner of the Western Conference Finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Thunder are repeating champions and have shown the ability to dominate all year, while also showing that they are hungry to repeat as champions this year. Before having a tough series with the Spurs, the Thunder swept through their first two playoff series against two really good teams in the Pheonix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Although hurt and missing their superstar franchise player Luka Doncic for the year, the Lakers had been playing really good basketball and still managed to finish the NBA regular season with the fourth best record in the Western Conference, while also beating the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs 4-2.
The Spurs’ ability to challenge the Thunder and have the series tied 2-2 with a chance of winning game 5 and maybe even the series, shows how good of a young team they are, very early in Victor Wembanyama’s career and how dominant they can be as championship contenders.
Both the Spurs and the Thunder have the two best records in the NBA at 62-20 and 64-18 and the Knicks at 53-29 are nowhere close to them record wise or in dominance.
However, getting hot at the right time, with the Knicks fans bringing great energy all year can serve Coach Mike Brown and his team well as they may seriously need it going up against two Western Conference juggernauts.
Can the Knicks win the NBA title this year? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section on what you believe. Watch highlights from game 4 in the link below.