Cavaliers Coach Kenny Atkinson Praises Knicks for Playoff ‘Heater'

The Cleveland Cavaliers failed to prevent an Eastern Conference Finals sweep against the New York Knicks on Monday night, falling with a lopsided 130-93 final score in Game 4.

Unanimous Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jalen Brunson led the way for the Knicks throughout the series, averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists per game as New York secured its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999. Brunson only needed to score 15 points in Game 4 as the Knicks deployed a balanced attack in the closeout game at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.

Game 4’s blowout win marked the Knicks’ 11 consecutive playoff victory, dating back to their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson praised the Knicks for their playoff “heater” during his postgame media availability after Game 4.

“They’re playing great basketball. You’ve got to give them credit. They’re on a heater,” Atkinson said. “I don’t want to go and detract from what we’ve done, and what we’ve done this postseason. Sometimes you’ve got to give the other team credit for playing great basketball.”

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The Knicks will now look to continue their positive momentum into the NBA Finals, where they’ll matchup against the winner of the Western Conference Finals series between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

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With the series tied at 2-2, Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 10:25 PM.