THE TAKE
No one knows for sure what will happen in the NBA Finals.
Here’s what we do know for sure: No team in NBA history will have entered the Finals on a bigger heater than the 2026 New York Knicks.
They’ve simply been annihilating their competition—night in, night out—for a month.
BOLDNESS
20/100
GRADE
88/100
PLAYERS / TEAMS
None tagged
GRADING CRITERIA
TRUE IF
the 2026 New York Knicks' playoff run leading into the Finals ranks historically among the most dominant in terms of win margin, win streak, or point differential compared to all prior Finals-bound teams;
FALSE IF
historical records show other teams entered the Finals with a comparable or more dominant run (e.g., 2017 Warriors, 2016 Warriors, 2001 Lakers).
recency biasvaguehot take
OUTCOME
CONFIRMED TRUEThe 2026 New York Knicks' playoff run entering the Finals was objectively the most dominant in NBA history by multiple metrics. They posted a record playoff point differential of +283 (breaking the 2017 Warriors' mark of +230), a record average margin of victory of +14.9 points per game (surpassing the 1970-71 Bucks), a 13-game winning streak (second-longest in NBA history), and were labeled by multiple outlets as one of the most dominant playoff runs ever. Nick Wright's claim that no team had entered the Finals on a 'bigger heater' was validated by the historical record.