Stephon Castle’s highlight dunk from Knicks–Cavs Game 1 goes viral after he posts clip

Stephon Castle’s latest viral moment did not come from Knicks-Cavaliers action, even as social posts tied his dunk clip to the Eastern Conference finals conversation on Thursday. Castle’s highlight was instead attached to the Western Conference finals, where the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder were tied 1-1 after Game 2, according to the NBA’s official playoff schedule. The confusion spread as the NBA’s social accounts pushed multiple camera angles of Castle’s dunk and fans recirculated the clip alongside posts about New York’s comeback win over Cleveland in Game 1 of the East finals. The NBA’s official schedule separately lists the Knicks leading that series 1-0, with Game 2 set for Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. (sports.yahoo.com) ### Which game did Stephon Castle’s dunk actually come from? Stephon Castle’s dunk came from San Antonio’s Western Conference finals series against Oklahoma City, not from the Knicks-Cavaliers matchup. Yahoo Sports described it on Thursday as a second-quarter play in the Thunder’s Game 2 win on Wednesday. (nba.com) The NBA’s official playoff schedule shows Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 122-113 in Game 2, leaving that series tied 1-1. The same schedule lists New York and Cleveland as the Eastern Conference finalists in a separate bracket. ### Why were fans connecting the clip to Knicks-Cavs? Thursday’s timing put the clip into the middle of a busy conference-finals news cycle. (sports.yahoo.com) The NBA schedule page was updated early May 21 and listed Cleveland at New York for East finals Game 2 that night, while social platforms were also circulating Castle’s dunk from the West finals. (nba.com) The mix of playoff clips and series updates appears to have blurred the source game in some posts. That is an inference based on the NBA’s official schedule and the separate reporting identifying Castle’s dunk as part of Spurs-Thunder Game 2. (nba.com) ### What was happening in the Knicks-Cavaliers series instead? The Knicks beat the Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime in Game 1 on May 19, according to NBA.com’s playoff schedule and the Knicks’ Game 2 notes. New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in that opener. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points in Game 1, the Knicks’ game notes said, while Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29. (sports.yahoo.com) The Knicks’ notes also said the comeback was the second-largest fourth-quarter rally in NBA playoff history. ### What did the NBA say about the next Knicks-Cavs game? (nba.com) NBA.com lists Game 2 of Cavaliers-Knicks for Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. ET in New York. The Knicks’ official game notes say the game will be played at Madison Square Garden and aired on ESPN. The same NBA schedule lists Game 3 for Saturday, May 23, in Cleveland if the series proceeds as scheduled. (nba.com) New York entered Thursday with a 1-0 lead. ### What should readers take from the viral clip? The clearest takeaway is that Castle’s viral dunk and Knicks-Cavaliers Game 2 were unfolding at the same time but were not part of the same game. (nba.com) Official NBA schedule pages place Castle in the Spurs-Thunder West finals track and the Knicks-Cavaliers series in the East finals track. Thursday’s next on-court event for the New York-Cleveland series is Game 2 at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden, while San Antonio and Oklahoma City are scheduled to resume their series on Friday, May 22, according to NBA.com. (nba.com)