For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks have reached the NBA Finals. The Knicks completed the sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night at Rocket Arena.
On the recent episode of Inside The NBA on ESPN, the crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal discussed the Knicks’ first NBA Finals berth in 27 years.
Barkley delivered a strong message about the Knicks, warning the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs ahead of their upcoming matchup.
“This is not the regular season New York Knicks right now,” Barkley said. “This team is just, they on fire right now. They’re playing with tremendous confidence. Whoever they play in the finals is going to have their hands full.”
The Knicks are indeed a different team in the past month compared to their regular-season version. They have won 11 in a row heading into the NBA Finals, sweeping both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mike Brown and his team have achieved their goal of reaching the NBA Finals, but they are more than capable of ending the Knicks’ 53-year title drought.
New York Knicks’ Record vs. Thunder and Spurs
GettyJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks protects the ball from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center on March 29, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In the 2025-26 NBA season, the New York Knicks faced the Oklahoma City Thunder twice and the San Antonio Spurs three times.
The Knicks went 0-2 against the Thunder, though both games were pretty close. Coach Mike Brown even had an interesting soundbite about the defending NBA champs, particularly Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s foul-baiting.
“SGA, he’s a tough cover, and he does a great job of convincing the referees — probably better than anybody in the league — that he’s getting hit,” Brown said, via ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill.
On the other hand, the Knicks went 1-1 against the Spurs in the regular season. They also beat Victor Wembanyama and company in the Emirates NBA Cup Final to lift their first hardware since 1973.
Knicks’ 11-Game Win Streak Called Dominant
GettyKarl-Anthony Towns #32 and Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks celebrate with the Bob Cousy Trophy after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
On Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s Get Up, Brian Windhorst described the New York Knicks’ current 11-game winning streak as one of the most dominant runs in NBA history. Windhorst wasn’t just talking about the regular season but also the history of the playoffs.
“This is one of the most dominant 11-game runs in the history of the NBA,” Windhorst said. “I’m not just talking about the playoffs. … This is three series in a row where the Knicks basically pummeled their opposition into waving the white flag. All three of their closeout games not only have been blowouts, they’ve been blowouts in the first quarter because the Knicks have broken their opposition.”
The Knicks have plenty of rest before Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals. They will play either at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City or at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
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