Knicks Make the NBA Finals

Zak Drapeau
4 minutes ago
4 min read

by Zak Drapeau

Sportz Nation - 5/26/2026

Photo Credits to Sue Ogrocki via Associated Press

Playoff Run

After 27 long years for New York basketball fans, the Knicks are in the NBA Finals again. After last night's Game 4 in the Eastern Conference Championship finished off their sweep of the Cavaliers, the Knicks are not only heading to the Finals but look poised to win it too.

With a date set against either the Thunder or Spurs, who are in the midst of a generational series, the Knicks will look to become NBA Champions for the first time since 1973.

The NBA Finals Game 1 is set to take place on June 3rd which means the Knicks will have 8 days of rest before the big game which will ultimately be held in the arena of which ever team wins the Western Conference Finals. An 8-day layoff is usually a daunting task for a team as hot as the Knicks are right now but they actually had a 9-day layoff between their Second Round series with the 76ers and the Eastern Conference Finals.

And speaking of being on a hot streak, the Knicks have now won 11 games in a row spanning all the way to the First Round against the Hawks. In those 11 games, the Knicks not only won but won by an average of 23.8 points per game, their largest margin of victory came on April 30th when they beat the Hawks by 51. In fact, the Knicks have won 4 games in their streak by 30 or more points including their 130-93 win in Cleveland last night to send them to the Finals.

The Team

After decades of mediocrity or losing in the first two rounds of the playoffs, this Knicks roster could be called one of the best in the franchise's history. Not only in talent but maybe more importantly in chemistry.

Led by their Point Guard Jalen Brunson, their backcourt also starts Josh Hart and is backed up by Miles McBride, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson. Besides Brunson who has turned into an All-Pro caliber player over the past three seasons, the rest of this unbelievable backcourt is made up of perceived "role players" and castaways.

Josh Hart is on his 4th team in less than a decade yet has seemed to find a home in New York as a scrappy, unselfish, do-it-all Guard that is a perfect fit with Brunson.

McBride and Shamet were bench warmers for years and have become some of the better 3-shooters off the bench in the East. Meanwhile Jordan Clarkson's experience and veteran leadership is felt through all the backups and even the starters.

In the frontcourt, Karl-Anthony Towns had another all-star season but has taken a different role in the playoffs; one that has focused much more on the paint than his normal wing position as a Center.

Photo Credits to Vincent Carchietta via Imagn Images

The player with the biggest improvement from the regular season to the Playoffs has been Forward OG Anunoby, who went from a good 16 and 5 to an outstanding 20 and 7 while playing the best defense of anyone on the team the entire time.

Mikal Bridges is the final piece of the starting puzzle and similar to Josh Hart just does everything well. 14 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, more than 1 steal per game and good defense and vocal leadership on the wing.

Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti are the first big men off the bench and have provided solid paint presences along with good rebounding when the team needs their starters to rest.

Can They Win It All?

If the Knicks weren't playing out of their minds for the past 30 days I would have said no to this question. Both the Thunder and Spurs have the best rosters in the league right now led by the Winner and Runner-Up to the league's MVP award this season respectively. Not only that but the team out of the West will have the Home Court Advantage for the series.

However...

Photo Credits to Alonzo Adams via Imagn Images

Both teams in the West are arguably not playing their best basketball right now, and the Knicks are. (It could just be that both Western teams are playing the other best team in the league so their play is rightfully hampered but I digress.)

In a matchup perspective, it seems like the Knicks would fair much better against the reining champion Thunder who have an offensive and Guard-dominated team just like the Knicks.

A series with the Spurs means the Knicks would have to guard Wembanyama. Discounting his first season, Wemby has played the Knicks 4 times and has averaged 34.5 points and 16 rebounds per game. Interestingly enough, their teams have gone 2-2 in that time.

The fact is that the Knicks are playing so well as a team and individually that they can hang with either team in the Finals. With either Shai and Mitchell or Fox and Castle guarding Brunson, the Knicks Captain should have a monster series. I also trust OG Anunoby to guard and battle for rebounds both of the Thunders big men and along with KAT and Robinson, at least slow down Wemby.

If I had to make a prediction, I have the Thunder winning the WCF in 6. They'll win tonight in front of their home crowd and have the momentum to close the series out on Thursday.

Then in a hypothetical Thunder-Knicks series, I'd also have the Thunder winning in the 7th game after a back-and-fourth series that will see each team pick up a road win.