The Eastern Conference Champions, the New York Knicks, are appearing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals for the first time since 1999, looking to win their third championship since 1973. The Knicks are led by three-time NBA all-star Point Guard Jalen Brunson and Center Mitchell Robinson with Head Coach Mike Brown.
New York rated fourth in offense and seventh in defense during the regular season, but flicked a switch once the playoffs began and is now rated number one in both offensive rating and defensive rating.
While the Summer Solstice is around the corner, the NBA finishes off the season with the NBA Finals, kicking off on Wednesday, June 3.
The Knicks completed the regular season with a 52-29 record, began the first round of the postseason against the Atlanta Hawks, beating them in six games, then swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers back-to-back in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Finals, punching their ticket on Monday, May 25.
However, the Knicks are facing the champions of the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, May 30, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City for the right to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.
Junior Mechanical Engineering major Alfonso Covarrubias is rallying behind San Antonio in the NBA finals, giving a shoutout to the Spurs Victor Wemanyama, highlighting, “Shooting, blocking, running across, he’s the difference maker, the big man, 7-foot-4.”
Covarrubias, stoked about the upcoming finals, said, “I haven’t felt this much hype before, because we just have superstar teams just going at it and I feel like this could go to six games.”
The San Antonio Spurs are advancing to the NBA finals for the first time since 2014, when they won their fifth title in franchise history. The current finals will officially be a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals against the Knicks.
The Spurs finished the regular season with a 62-20 record, starting the postseason against the Portland Trailblazers, beating them in five games, the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games and taking out the Thunder in seven games. Led by Power Forward Victor Wembanyama, Point Guard Stephon Castle and Head Coach Mitch Johnson, San Antonio is rated third in offensive ranking and second in defensive ranking.
The NBA Finals mark the beginning of the end for the season, with two teams at the doorstep of the ultimate goal. But only one can be crowned the champion of basketball.
