CLEVELAND — Fly the broom!
Knicks fans from the New York area are making their way to Cleveland, Ohio, for the last game of their playoff run against the Cavaliers. Some are even bringing their own brooms to tidy up the streets as they show their support.
So far, the Knicks have outperformed the Cavaliers in each game of the Eastern Conference Finals. If they manage to win again in Game 4 on Monday night at Rocket Arena, they’ll secure the conference title and move on to the NBA Finals.
A number of Knicks supporters have traveled to Cleveland, including many from the Tri-State area who splurged on tickets after missing out on games held at Madison Square Garden.
Kevin Grisales, a 37-year-old sanitation worker from Woodside, Queens, decided to extend his Cleveland trip to catch what could be the last two games of the series. Initially scheduled to go home after the third game, he couldn’t resist the chance to see his team “win it all.”
“We’re already in the finals. It’s inevitable,” Grisales shared. “I’m expecting us to take on any team from the West. But I’m also a realist—it won’t be easy.”
His ticket for Game 3, where the Knicks clinched a 121-108 win, was a reasonable $220, while tickets at MSG were priced over $700. He anticipates tickets for Monday’s game will hover around $200.
Jose Agosta, who made the trip from Harlem with his son Julian, mentioned that tickets in Cleveland were “probably three or four times more affordable” than those at the Garden.
Agosta expressed disbelief at the defeatist attitude of Cavs fans, despite their home advantage.
“We have to win. Their fans gave up from the beginning,” he remarked.
But many Knicks fans are delighted by the decline in Cavs morale.
Jorge Jimenez and his three friends from New Jersey gathered at the General Moses Cleveland statue, each wielding a broom as they swept the sidewalk.
“I’ll show you what happens now. Let’s move Harden’s ankle!” Rich joked.
“Knicks Infor!” Javon chimed in enthusiastically.
Jimenez was confident that Monday’s game would lead to another straightforward victory for the Knicks.
“Morale is down. I think Cleveland already knows. It’s Game 4. The Knicks are playing strong right now. We’ve won 10 games. We’re just riding high,” he noted.
The Knicks haven’t faced a defeat since their Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 23.
Last year, they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Meanwhile, last year’s champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are currently battling the San Antonio Spurs in the West Conference Finals.
