The New York Knicks ran through the Eastern Conference with unprecedented dominance. Literally, the NBA said so, as seen here.
The Knicks’ 11-game winning streak began with a 51-point thrashing of the Atlanta Hawks to win their first-round playoff series on April 30. After that, they swept the Philadelphia 76ers with ease in the Eastern Conference semifinals and swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference Finals.
After the Knicks beat the Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 on Monday, All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson received the Larry Bird Trophy, given to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, from Knicks Hall of Fame legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Patrick Ewing. The Knicks have reached the NBA Finals for the first time since Ewing still wore the blue and orange in 1999, and they’ll try to win the franchise’s first championship since Frazier did it in 1973.
The Madison Square Garden ticket prices reflect that rarity, but a group of Knicks fans will get into the 2026 NBA Finals for free.
Madison Square Garden Sports issued a press release Wednesday announcing that the Knicks “will donate hundreds of free tickets to underprivileged youth,” with the Garden of Dreams Foundation Youth receiving 250 tickets for every home game of the series.
According to Newsday Sports’ Steve Popper, MSG courtside seats for Game 3 were listed at $595,000 at one point. The New York Times’ Claire Fahy reported that the Chase presale listed tickets from “just under $2,000 to more than $6,000,” and resale sites had tickets for sale exceeding $85,000.
The Knicks will face either the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals. The Thunder currently hold a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. The Finals are slated to begin next Wednesday, June 3. The Western Conference winner will host Games 1 and 2 before the Finals hit MSG for Games 3 and 4.
