Knicks take 2-0 series lead with 109-93 win over Cavaliers

The New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on May 21 at Madison Square Garden, taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. New York followed its Game 1 comeback win with a game it controlled for most of the second half, moving within two wins of the NBA Finals. (nba.com) The Knicks got 96 points from their starting lineup, according to NBA.com, and extended their playoff winning streak to nine games. (cdn-uat.nba.com) ### Who drove New York’s Game 2 win? (nba.com) Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points for New York, leading a balanced Knicks attack that put all five starters in double figures. Jalen Brunson scored 19 points and handed out a playoff career-high 14 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Mikal Bridges also scored 19 points, and OG Anunoby added 14 points with three blocks. NBA.com said the Knicks’ starting five combined for 96 points and 12 made 3-pointers. (nba.com) That production gave New York separation after a competitive first half and kept Cleveland from making a sustained push late. ### What happened to Cleveland after halftime? Cleveland finished with 93 points and could not keep pace once New York opened space in the second half. NBA.com’s live recap said every time the Cavaliers cut the lead to single digits, the Knicks answered with baskets that pushed the margin back out. (cdn-uat.nba.com) Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points for Cleveland, and James Harden added 18, according to the Fox Sports box score surfaced in search results. (nba.com) But the Cavaliers did not get enough stops against a Knicks team that kept generating scoring from multiple starters. ### Was Brunson the top scorer? Jalen Brunson was not New York’s leading scorer in Game 2, despite entering the night after a 38-point performance in Game 1. (nba.com) NBA.com’s postgame coverage said Hart led the Knicks with 26 points in Game 2, while Brunson shifted into more of a playmaking role with 14 assists. That change in distribution underscored how New York won differently in the two games at Madison Square Garden. In Game 1, Brunson carried the late comeback. (foxsports.com) In Game 2, the Knicks got broader scoring support and turned the game into a more one-sided finish. ### How firm is the Knicks’ hold on the series? The NBA schedule page lists the series as 2-0 in New York’s favor after the Knicks’ 109-93 win on May 21. (cdn-uat.nba.com) NBA.com’s Game 2 coverage said New York is now two wins away from the NBA Finals. Basketball-Reference’s box score confirms the final margin and date of the result. The Knicks, the No. 3 seed in the East, have now taken the first two games of the conference finals at home against the No. 4-seeded Cavaliers. (nba.com) ### When does the series move to Cleveland? The NBA’s official schedule lists Game 3 for Saturday, May 23, in Cleveland and Game 4 for Monday, May 25. If needed, Game 5 is scheduled for May 27 back in New York, followed by Game 6 on May 29 in Cleveland and Game 7 on May 31 in New York. (nba.com) Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is the next site in the series, with Cleveland needing a home response to cut into New York’s 2-0 lead. The Knicks will enter Game 3 with a chance to move within one win of the NBA Finals. (basketball-reference.com) (nba.com)