Throughout the NBA Playoffs, many pundits have been quick to point to the Western Conference in order to find their NBA Championship winner.
But don’t count out the New York Knicks.
Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson handled business against the Cleveland Cavaliers in another four game sweep during the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks were the better, and fresher, team against the Cavs, who played back-to-back Game 7 series. New York swept the Philadelphia 76ers, and will now enjoy another long layover before learning their opponent for the NBA Finals.
That’s why these Knicks can’t be slept on.
The Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs has already turned into a back and forth affair. All knotted up at two games a piece, the soonest this series could end is on Thursday. By that point, the Knicks will already have had three full days of rest.
Regardless of when the conference finals wrap up, Game 1 of the NBA Finals is already set for Wednesday June 3. This will give the Knicks another week of rest, having eight full days off to prepare for the NBA Finals.
And they certainly weren’t rusty against the Cavaliers.
The Cavs played three good quarters of basketball during their four game sweep against the Knicks. All three of those quarters happened in Game 1, where the Cavs found themselves with a 22-point lead during the fourth quarter. But Brunson and Knicks head coach Mike Brown adjusted during that second half, learning that James Harden and Donovan Mitchell are defensive liabilities.
The Knicks erased that 22-point deficit, and never looked back. From that point forward, New York proved to be the class of the Eastern Conference.
Want to talk about getting hot at the right time? Heading into the NBA Finals, the Knicks are riding a historic 11-game winning streak. Brunson is the engine that powers the team, but New York has received major contributions from role players like Landry Shamet, too.
Either the Thunder or the Spurs will provide a much better test for New York.
The Thunder are looking for back-to-back championships in order to assert themselves as this generation’s dynasty in the NBA. The Spurs are looking to block that dynasty by winning a championship with phenom Victor Wembanyama in his age 22 season.
Prediction markets like Kalshi that allow users to trade shares of real-world events give the Knicks a 31% chance of winning the NBA Finals. That’s the second-best odds behind the Thunder, who have the highest probability of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy at 46%.
The Knicks are in the Finals for the first time since 1999. They’re looking to win their first championship since 1973. And their last two playoff sweeps have proved that they’re going to give the Thunder or Spurs a real run for their money.
