Knicks beat Cavaliers 109-83

The New York Knicks took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on May 21 by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 at Madison Square Garden. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, Jalen Brunson added 19 points and 14 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, according to NBA.com. The margin mattered because Game 1 had required a comeback from 22 points down in the fourth quarter before New York won 115-104 in overtime. In Game 2, the Knicks avoided another late scramble by breaking the game open with an 18-0 run in the third quarter. ### How did New York turn this one into a rout? (nba.com) The third quarter decided the game. NBA.com’s recap said the Knicks used an 18-0 burst to build a 71-53 lead, turning a competitive game into a double-digit cushion that Cleveland never erased. Hart’s shooting was central to that swing. NBA.com said he went 5-for-11 from 3-point range, and Knicks coach Mike Brown said afterward, “Just a whale of a game from Josh.” (nytimes.com) ### Why was Josh Hart the defining player? Hart finished with 26 points and seven assists, his highest scoring total in a playoff game. The Athletic’s live coverage and NBA.com both identified the night as a playoff career high for Hart, who punished Cleveland from the perimeter after being left space to shoot. (nba.com) Brunson’s playmaking also shaped the result. NBA.com listed him with a playoff career-high 14 assists, giving New York steady half-court control while Hart, Towns and Mikal Bridges supplied the scoring. Bridges also scored 19 points. ### What did Cleveland get, and what did it not get? Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and James Harden added 18 for Cleveland, but the Cavaliers did not match New York’s second-half control. (nytimes.com) NBA.com said Cleveland now faces a 2-0 deficit for the second straight round. Mitchell did not sound resigned after the loss. “Nothing to hang our head about,” he said, according to NBA.com. “They protected home court, and we’ve seen this before so we’re going to go to Game 3.” (nba.com) ### How unusual is this Knicks run? New York has won nine straight playoff games, according to NBA.com and CBS Sports. NBA.com said it is the NBA’s longest postseason winning streak since the Boston Celtics won 10 straight during their 2024 title run. (nba.com) The Knicks are also two wins from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. CBS Sports said New York has not won the Eastern Conference since that 1999 run, even though this is the franchise’s second straight trip to the conference finals. (nba.com) ### What changes now that the series shifts to Ohio? Cleveland gets the next two games at home, starting with Game 3 on Saturday. (nba.com) NBA.com’s series page lists Game 3 for May 23 at 8 p.m. ET in Cleveland, with Game 4 set for May 25. Towns kept the Knicks’ message simple after the win. “In our mind it’s 0-0,” he said, according to NBA.com. “We’ve got to win the next game. (cbssports.com) It’s the most important game of the year and that’s how we treat it.” (nba.com)