Knicks beat Cavaliers 109-93 Game 2

Josh Hart’s 26 points were the headline number in New York’s 109-93 win over Cleveland on Thursday night, but the game also clarified how this series has opened. The Knicks now lead the Eastern Conference finals 2-0 after defending home court twice at Madison Square Garden. NBA.com’s game page showed New York in control late in the fourth quarter, and ESPN’s playoff schedule lists the NBA Finals as beginning June 3. Cleveland now returns home needing a response in Game 3. ### How did New York separate after a tighter start? Fox Sports’ game log showed the Knicks used an 18-0 run in the third quarter to break the game open after the teams had traded stretches early. That burst turned a competitive game into a double-digit New York lead and forced Cleveland to chase the rest of the night. NBA.com’s live game page listed the score at 101-86 with 3:21 remaining, a snapshot of how much room the Knicks had created by the closing minutes. By then, Hart had already put together the most productive scoring night of his playoff career. ### Why was Josh Hart the central figure? Josh Hart finished with 26 points, and NBA.com’s game page also credited him with seven assists and two steals. For a Knicks team that has leaned on multiple contributors during its postseason run, Hart’s line stood out because it paired scoring with playmaking. ESPN’s account of the game said the 26 points were a playoff career high for Hart. Yahoo Sports reported Cleveland repeatedly left him open, and Hart made the Cavaliers pay for it, giving New York a second scoring stream alongside its usual creators. ### What does 2-0 mean in the context of this run? The Knicks have now won nine straight playoff games, according to ESPN and multiple postgame reports. That streak covers the close of the previous round and the first two games of the conference finals, giving New York sustained momentum rather than a one-game swing. The 2-0 edge also follows a 115-104 Game 1 victory, according to series listings cited in pregame coverage. With two home wins secured, the Knicks are two victories away from the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, as ESPN reported. ### What went wrong for Cleveland in Game 2? Cleveland’s 93 points were not enough to withstand New York’s third-quarter surge, and the Cavaliers never fully erased the separation. Fox Sports’ boxscore page showed Max Strus fouling out with 1:15 left, a late detail in a game that had already tilted toward New York. StatMuse’s game summary described the result as a game New York controlled on the way to a 16-point margin. Cleveland’s task now is less about one possession or one late sequence than about correcting the stretches that let the Knicks run away in the middle of the game. ### What happens next in the series? The NBA’s official playoff schedule says the Eastern Conference finals continue with the series shifting to Cleveland for Game 3. That move changes the setting, but not the arithmetic: the Cavaliers need a home win to avoid a 3-0 deficit. The 2026 NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 3, according to ESPN and NBA.com. New York enters the next game with a 2-0 lead, while Cleveland returns home trying to extend a series that has so far belonged to the Knicks.