Eastern Conference finals: Game 2 scheduled for Thursday in Cleveland

The NBA has Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals set for Thursday night, with the New York Knicks facing the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, according to the league’s official playoff schedule. New York enters with a 1-0 series lead after a 115-104 overtime win in Game 1 on May 19. NBA.com’s series page lists the Knicks ahead 1-0 and shows the next game on Thursday night. The Cavaliers’ playoff schedule page also lists Game 2 for Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. ### When exactly is Game 2, and where can viewers watch it? Thursday, May 21, is the date the league assigned to Game 2 of the series, and the tipoff time is 8:00 p.m. ET. The NBA’s playoff schedule says ESPN will televise the game. An NBA social post on Thursday also listed Cleveland vs. New York in Game 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The matchup remains in New York for Game 2 before the series moves to Ohio. The Cavaliers’ official playoff page shows Games 1 and 2 at Madison Square Garden, with Game 3 scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. ### What happened in Game 1? Tuesday, May 19, ended with New York winning 115-104 in overtime after trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter, according to NBA.com’s game summary and recap pages. The league’s Eastern Conference finals page described the result as a 22-point fourth-quarter comeback. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 38 points in Game 1, NBA.com said in its recap. The same recap said New York finished the game on a 44-11 run, turning a game Cleveland controlled for much of the night into a Knicks series lead. ### How did the series get to 1-0? NBA.com’s game summary for May 19 lists the result as “Game 1: NYK leads 1-0.” The official conference finals page also shows New York in front after one game. That opening result gave the Knicks home-court momentum in the best-of-seven series. The league schedule page says the Eastern Conference finals continue with alternating travel after the first two games in New York. ### Where does the series go after Thursday? Saturday, May 23, is the scheduled date for Game 3 at Rocket Arena, according to the Cavaliers’ playoff page. That same page lists Game 4 for Monday, May 25, also in Cleveland. If needed, the remaining games are set for May 27, May 29 and May 31, the Cavaliers’ schedule page shows. ESPN is listed for Games 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7, while ABC is listed for Game 3. ### What are the official sources showing right now? NBA.com updated its 2026 playoff schedule on May 21 and said the page would be refreshed as postseason scheduling is officially announced. The site’s Eastern Conference finals page, the Game 1 summary, and the Cavaliers’ team playoff page all align on the current status: Knicks lead 1-0, and Game 2 is Thursday night. June 3 is the scheduled start of the NBA Finals on ABC, according to ESPN’s playoff hub and the NBA’s postseason schedule. Before that, the Knicks and Cavaliers are set to resume the East finals on Thursday, May 21, at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.