Ending a 27-year wait, the New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 and completing a four-game Eastern Conference finals sweep. Thousands of travelling supporters turned Rocket Arena into a celebratory setting as New York closed another lopsided series.

Karl-Anthony Towns led a balanced effort with 19 points and 14 rebounds, converting eight of his 11 attempts. OG Anunoby scored 17, Landry Shamet supplied 16 from the bench, and Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges added 15 apiece. Brunson, who averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists during the series, received the conference finals' most valuable player award.

Cleveland briefly led early, but the Knicks took command with a 20-0 burst spanning the end of the opening quarter and the start of the second. Their advantage rested on more than shooting: New York outscored the Cavaliers 32-5 on second-chance opportunities and 33-9 in transition. With a 35-point cushion and 7:47 remaining, coach Mike Brown withdrew his starters.

Donovan Mitchell produced 31 points for Cleveland, while Evan Mobley recorded 15 points and seven rebounds. Not since the 2018 Finals had the Cavaliers lost a postseason series without winning a game. Their season ended after 14 games in 27 days, though coach Kenny Atkinson said the result required giving New York credit rather than reducing it to fatigue.

The Knicks have won 11 consecutive postseason games, becoming the fourth team to assemble a streak that long during a single playoff run. They swept Philadelphia before eliminating Cleveland, and all but one of their postseason victories have come by double figures. Their average winning margin has been 23.7 points. Each of New York's three series-clinching wins was by at least 30.

This will be the franchise's ninth Finals appearance and its third since its most recent championship in 1973. New York lost the title series to Houston in 1994 and San Antonio in 1999. The Bob Cousy Trophy was handed to the team after the win by former Knicks Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing.

New York will meet either the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs. That Western series stood level at two games each, with Game 5 scheduled in Oklahoma City. Whichever club advances will hold home-court advantage when the Finals begin June 3 because it posted the stronger regular-season record.

New York's travelling support was audible throughout the clincher, with chants continuing after the starters left. Towns said helping restore hope around the franchise made the achievement special. Brown highlighted 65 combined points from offensive rebounds and fast breaks as an illustration of the collective approach that decided the game.