Knicks take 2-0 Eastern Conference finals lead with 109-91 win in Cleveland

The New York Knicks took a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals with a 109-93 win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, May 21. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, and Jalen Brunson added 19 points with 14 assists as New York won its ninth straight playoff game. (nba.com) The result sent the series to Cleveland with the Knicks two wins from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. ### How did New York control Game 2 after the Game 1 comeback? (nba.com) New York led by as many as 19 points and did not need another late rally after its overtime win in Game 1. The Knicks shot 44-for-85 from the field, committed only six turnovers and finished with 32 assists in the Game 2 victory. Josh Hart gave New York its biggest scoring push. Hart made five 3-pointers and added seven assists, according to the NBA box score. Mikal Bridges scored 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 13 rebounds. (nba.com) ### What did Brunson’s stat line say about the way the Knicks played? Brunson finished with 14 assists, his highest total of the postseason, as New York spread the offense across its starting group. NBA.com’s John Schuhmann wrote that Brunson “willingly gives up the ball” as the Knicks’ lineup continued to generate efficient looks. (nba.com) The Knicks’ starters supplied most of the production again. NBA.com said the starting lineup delivered in a “big Game 2 win,” with Hart taking the scoring lead while Brunson directed the offense. (nba.com) ### What did Cleveland get, and where did it fall short? Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points for Cleveland, and Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 10 rebounds. Cleveland finished with 93 points after entering the night trying to answer a Game 1 loss in which New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit. (nba.com) The Cavaliers could not match New York’s ball movement or protect the ball as well. Cleveland committed 22 personal fouls and saw New York finish with a 32-22 edge in assists, according to the official box score. (nba.com) ### Why does the series score matter this much now? The Knicks are now two wins away from the NBA Finals, NBA.com said in its live recap after Game 2. The victory also extended New York’s playoff winning streak to nine games. (nba.com) Game 1 had already shifted the series after New York’s 115-104 overtime comeback on May 19. NBA.com said that rally was the second-biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history and the largest postseason comeback in Knicks franchise history. (nba.com) ### When and where does the series resume? Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, in Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as the series shifts out of New York. The Knicks’ official schedule lists the Eastern Conference finals continuing with Cleveland hosting the next game. (nba.com) The NBA’s conference finals bracket lists Knicks-Cavaliers in the East and Spurs-Thunder in the West, with the NBA Finals set to begin after the conference finals conclude. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) (nba.com 3)