Knicks at Cavs Live Updates: NBA Playoffs Game 4 Scores, Stats As New York Seeks Sweep, Finals Berth

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. Follow along for updates.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks enter Game 4 with a 3–0 series lead. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Through about three-and-a-half quarters of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, it looked like the Cavaliers might strike an early blow and put the heavily favored Knicks on their heels. Instead, Jalen Brunson led a historic fourth quarter comeback, forcing overtime, where New York won going away.

The Knicks haven’t looked back since. They’ve outscored Cleveland by 29 total points across Games 2 and 3, and now find themselves just one game away from the franchise’s first NBA Finals berth since 1999. All of the pressure is on the Cavaliers ahead of Monday’s elimination game, but don’t expect New York to take its foot off the gas. With the Thunder and Spurs going to a minimum of six games and the Finals not starting until June 3, New York could win itself nine whole days of rest before going up against one of the league’s two best teams. Yes, rust is a bit of a concern, but as we’ve seen in the ECF, which came after the Knicks swept the 76ers on May 10 and Cleveland didn’t finish its seven-game series against the Pistons until a week later, the rest factor trumps it.

Sports Illustrated’s NBA staff will providing live updates, insights and takeaways of all of Monday’s action below. Scroll down for information on how to watch the game.

NBA playoffs: Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game 4 live updates, scores, stats

How to watch Knicks vs. Cavs Game 4

Monday night’s Eastern Conference finals game tips off at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN will carry coverage of the game on cable as well as its various streaming options.

How New York, Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference finals

Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and the Cavaliers haven’t been able to get over the hump against the Knicks after grinding out series wins against the Raptors and Pistons. | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Knicks entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 3 seed with a 53–29 record. New York has caught fire in the postseason, but it got off to a pretty slow start against the No. 6 Hawks, falling behind 2–1 in the series in large part because of some unexpected CJ McCollum heroics. The Knicks found their rhythm in the middle of the series, and dispatch of Atlanta with three consecutive wins to close out the series.

Since Game 3 of the opening round, it has been total domination. New York swept the 76ers in four games and are on the verge of doing the same to the Cavaliers. With 10 straight playoff wins, the Knicks are entering historic territory. Only four teams have ever won 11 consecutive postseason contests, and as you’d imagine, that short list features some of the greatest teams of all time.

Cleveland, meanwhile, has been scratching and clawing throughout the playoffs.

After landing the No. 4 seed with a 52–30 record, the Cavs went the distance with the No. 5 Raptors, with the home team winning all seven contests. The second-round series against the No. 1 Pistons began the same way, before Cleveland picked up a huge first road win of the postseason in Game 5. After Detroit responded by winning on the road in Game 6, the Cavs put together an impressive Game 7 effort to take the series, once again picking up a road victory.

They nearly did it again in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, but after a dreadful collapse in that game and two subsequent losses, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden & Co. have their backs against the wall.

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