There was no question about who set the tone for New York’s run to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, with Jalen Brunson carrying the charge from start to finish.

Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player on Monday after leading the New York Knicks to a clean sweep over the Cleveland Cavaliers and sealing a place in the championship series.

New York stormed through the East Finals with 11 straight wins, capped by a 130-93 blowout in Game 4 where Brunson added 16 points to close out the series.

Across the four games, he averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists while shooting just under 49 per cent, repeatedly stepping up when the Knicks needed control and calm in high-pressure moments.

Brunson’s rise has been one of the league’s quieter success stories. When New York signed him in 2022, expectations were mixed, but he quickly proved his value, lifting his scoring, earning multiple All Star selections, and becoming the clear leader of a reshaped Knicks roster.

His defining moment in the series came early, with a 38-point performance in Game 1 that dragged New York back from a 22-point deficit and set the tone for the sweep.

Now, alongside a strengthened supporting cast, the Knicks sit just four wins away from their first NBA title since 1973, with Brunson firmly at the heart of it all.