Cult hero Delly can't save Proctor, Cavs from sweep

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There are no Australian players left in the NBA Playoffs after Tyrese Proctor and the Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Not even a special guest appearance from 2016 championship hero Matthew Dellavedova could inspire the Cavaliers, who looked out of their depth from the start of game four as the Knicks ran away with the game in their second consecutive series sweep in the playoffs.

Despite the result already being decided, Proctor played nine minutes, in valuable playoff experience for the Aussie rookie.

The loss leaves only former Australian Boomers skipper and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Matthew Nielsen as the only Aussie remaining in the playoffs.

MATCH REPORT

The New York Knicks blew the doors off the Cleveland Cavaliers 130–93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, completing a 4-0 series sweep behind a dominant all-round effort led by Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks led wire-to-wire, scoring at least 30 points in every quarter to bury the Cavaliers on their home floor.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter scores: New York 38–26, 30–23, 30–22, 32–22
• Series result: Knicks win 4-0
• Knicks shot 49% from the field and 44% from three-point range
• Cavaliers shot a dismal 28% from deep on 40 attempts

Towns dominates the glass and the scoreboard

Karl-Anthony Towns was on fire, finishing with 19 points on 8-from-11 shooting, including a perfect 3-from-3 from downtown, to go with 14 rebounds, three assists and two swats. His +25 plus-minus was the highest among the starters and underlined his two-way impact across 26 minutes.

Towns owned the interior from the opening tip, ripping down 12 defensive boards and helping the Knicks to a commanding 60–33 rebounding edge.

Early surge sets tone

New York jumped on Cleveland immediately, racking up 38 first-quarter points to take a 38–26 lead after 12 minutes. The visitors never let the foot off the gas, extending the margin to 68–49 by halftime as their ball movement (33 assists for the game) carved through the Cavaliers’ defence.

Jalen Brunson chipped in 15 points and five dimes, while Mikal Bridges added 15 points and five assists, although he finished 4-from-16 from the field. OG Anunoby contributed a stellar all-round line of 17 points, seven boards and four assists.

Clarkson detonates off the bench

Jordan Clarkson delivered the most efficient performance of the night, exploding for 16 points on 5-from-6 shooting, including a perfect 4-from-4 from outside, in just 19 minutes. His +28 plus-minus topped the box score and effectively closed out any hope of a Cavaliers’ comeback.

Jose Alvarado added 11 points on 4-from-6 shooting with three triples, while Mitchell Robinson posted eight points and 10 rebounds — including five offensive boards — in 18 minutes off the pine.

Josh Hart fills the stat sheet

Josh Hart again proved his value as a connector, registering six points, 11 rebounds and six assists with two steals. His four offensive boards helped fuel a Knicks’ outfit that finished with 20 offensive rebounds to Cleveland’s six.

Mitchell carries Cleveland in vain

Donovan Mitchell was the lone bright spot for the Cavaliers, pouring in a game-high 31 points on 9-from-18 shooting, including 5-from-9 from deep and 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. He also added four rebounds, but finished at -23 as the deficit ballooned.

Evan Mobley managed 15 points and seven boards, while James Harden had a disappointing night with 12 points on 2-from-8 shooting, going scoreless from beyond the arc on six attempts and coughing up five turnovers. Thomas Bryant provided 10 points off the bench on 4-from-7 shooting.

Cleveland’s shooting woes seal their fate

The Cavaliers’ underwhelming 28% from three-point range was the defining statistic, with Mitchell accounting for five of their 11 made triples on his own. The Knicks’ ball movement (33 assists on 48 made field goals) and rebounding dominance left Cleveland with no answers as their season ended on home court.

By the Numbers

• Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK): 19 pts │ 14 reb │ 3 ast │ 2 blk │ 8-from-11 FG │ 3-from-3 3PT
• OG Anunoby (NYK): 17 pts │ 7 reb │ 4 ast │ 2 stl
• Jordan Clarkson (NYK): 16 pts │ 2 ast │ 5-from-6 FG │ 4-from-4 3PT
• Jalen Brunson (NYK): 15 pts │ 5 ast │ 6-from-14 FG
• Mikal Bridges (NYK): 15 pts │ 3 reb │ 5 ast
• Josh Hart (NYK): 6 pts │ 11 reb │ 6 ast │ 2 stl
• Jose Alvarado (NYK): 11 pts │ 3-from-5 3PT │ 3 stl
• Mitchell Robinson (NYK): 8 pts │ 10 reb │ 5 OREB
• Donovan Mitchell (CLE): 31 pts │ 4 reb │ 5-from-9 3PT │ 8-of-10 FT
• Evan Mobley (CLE): 15 pts │ 7 reb │ 4 ast
• James Harden (CLE): 12 pts │ 4 reb │ 2 ast │ 5 TO
• Thomas Bryant (CLE): 10 pts │ 3 reb │ 4-from-7 FG