Will the Cleveland Cavaliers or New York Knicks come out on top to make the NBA Finals and shift the narratives of their franchises?
The Knicks and the Cavs face off tonight in Madison Square Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks edged out the Cavs in their season series 2-1, while both franchises won over 50 games. Fans should be in for a treat, as both teams have some major narratives to change.
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Knicks fans need this series win
Having not made the NBA Finals since 1999, the Knicks now stand as a firm contender to return. They are coming off of a tough loss in the ECF last year to an on-fire Pacers team, so the motivation to make the Finals has grown only stronger.
Since the Patrick Ewing era, the Knicks’ fanbase has desired a return to prominence. The organization has gone through some tough times in the 2000s and 2010s, managing only a .469 winning percentage since their last Finals run. The subpar record even includes the success of the revitalized team of the 2020s with Jalen Brunson breaking out as a bonafide star.
Being such a loyal fanbase, Knicks fans are tired of the disappointment. It is almost hard to believe that the franchise’s last championship came in 1973, given their historical prominence in the NBA, so the time is now for the Knicks to lock in and reassert themselves.
Believe it or not, Cavaliers have much to prove
While the Cavs did win a recent championship in 2016, the franchise still has much to prove. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert once famously said that the organization would win a championship before LeBron James, and it turns out, he was wrong in more ways than one. LeBron went on to win a championship first, and he came back to win a championship with the Cavs.
Not only have the Cavs not won a championship without LeBron, they have not even made the Finals without him. Therefore, the franchise and Gilbert want to show their fans that they can succeed without one specific player.
Some of the Cavs’ star players also need this series win to prove the doubters wrong. James Harden has faced much backlash for his lackluster performances in critical playoff matchups, and Donovan Mitchell‘s high playoff PPG average has proved unfruitful. These players can start changing their narratives tonight, while establishing that Cleveland no longer needs King James.
