The conference finals was a tale of two extremes. In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks ran through the Cavaliers to continue a historic 11-game playoff winning streak and bring the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Out West, the Spurs and the Thunder went the distance in what was the matchup that had been circled on calendars for months.
New York watched Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio close the door on the defending champs on the road in Game 7 Saturday night. At that point, the Knicks were on their fifth day of rest amid an eight-day layoff before the NBA Finals open on Wednesday. The Spurs’ series against Oklahoma City came after the Thunder swept the Lakers in the second round. The Spurs used the Thunder’s rustiness against them for a thrilling Game 1 win in double overtime. During New York’s winning streak, they also swept their second-round opponent in the 76ers. The long layoff didn’t hinder the Knicks, although they had to come back from a wild 22-point deficit in Game 1 to take down the Cavs in an overtime thriller.
