Knicks take 3-0 Eastern Conference finals lead after rout of Cavaliers at MSG

The New York Knicks moved within one win of the NBA Finals on Saturday, May 23, with a 121-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 30 points as New York pushed its playoff winning streak to 10 games. The Knicks now lead the best-of-seven series 3-0, according to NBA.com. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley combined for 47 points for Cleveland in the loss. ### How decisive was Game 3? The final score was 121-108, but New York led throughout and never trailed, according to game summaries from NBA.com and box-score reports. OG Anunoby added 21 points and Mikal Bridges scored 22 for the Knicks, giving New York three 20-point scorers in the game. (nba.com) Cleveland got 47 combined points from Mitchell and Mobley, but the Cavaliers could not slow New York’s offense. The Knicks shot 43-for-77 from the field and 24-for-27 from the foul line, CBS New York reported. ### What has fueled the Knicks’ 3-0 lead? (nba.com) New York has won 10 straight postseason games, a run that has carried it to the brink of its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. NBA.com listed Saturday’s result as another wire-to-wire Knicks win, and multiple game reports described the club as one win from closing the series. (cbsnews.com) Brunson has remained the lead scorer, but Game 3 also showed New York’s scoring depth. Bridges finished with 22 points and Anunoby had 21, according to Sporting News’ box-score report, while Karl-Anthony Towns continued to be part of a balanced Knicks attack cited in Yahoo’s live report. (nba.com) ### How rare is a 10-game playoff streak? CBS New York reported that New York became the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight games during a single postseason run. The outlet said the most recent team to do it was the 2024 Boston Celtics. (sportingnews.com) The streak has come as the Knicks have moved through the Eastern Conference bracket without a loss in their past 10 playoff games. Saturday’s win kept that run intact and put Cleveland on the edge of elimination. ### What does Cleveland need before Game 4? Cleveland now faces elimination in Game 4 after dropping the first three games of the series. (cbsnews.com) Mitchell and Mobley supplied most of the Cavaliers’ top-end production in Game 3, but the team still allowed 121 points. (nba.com) The Cavaliers’ immediate task is simple on the schedule even if difficult on the floor: win Monday to extend the series. NBA.com’s playoff schedule lists Game 4 for Monday, May 25, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. ### When can New York clinch the East? Monday, May 25, is New York’s next chance to end the series and secure the Eastern Conference title. (basketball-reference.com) NBA.com lists Game 4 between the Knicks and Cavaliers for 8:00 p.m. Eastern, with the Knicks holding a 3-0 lead entering the game. The NBA’s 2026 playoff schedule shows the Finals are set to begin in June after the conference finals conclude. (nba.com) For now, New York needs one more win to advance. (nba.com)