The Knicks’ return to the NBA Finals was not built on one player carrying the load.
Jalen Brunson led the way and earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP, but New York also needed major contributions from Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
Landry Shamet belonged in that group too, after producing elite shooting efficiency that gave the Knicks another reliable weapon in their sweep of Cleveland.
Landry Shamet makes NBA history with unseen Conference Finals shooting run
According to StatMuse, Shamet became the first player with 10 or more threes on at least 80 percent three-point shooting in a Conference Finals series.
He finished 11-for-12 from beyond the arc across four games, turning a limited offensive role into one of the most efficient shooting runs in playoff history.
Game 2 was the one exception. Shamet went scoreless, took only one field-goal attempt and committed four fouls in a quiet appearance.
The rest of the series showed his value. Even when he was not posting huge scoring totals, his spacing and accuracy punished Cleveland’s defensive choices.
His best scoring night came in Game 4, when he recorded 16 points as the Knicks sealed their place in the NBA Finals.
Across the series, Shamet averaged 9.8 points per game, a modest figure made far more important by how efficiently those points arrived.
That level will matter again in the Finals. Whether New York face Oklahoma City or San Antonio, the Knicks’ depth will be tested more heavily.
Brunson remains the leading figure, but Shamet’s shooting gives New York a bench variable opponents cannot ignore.
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