Knicks win Game 2, lead series 2-0

The New York Knicks took control of the Eastern Conference finals with a 109-93 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 on Thursday, May 21. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, Jalen Brunson finished with 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists, and New York moved two wins from its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. (apnews.com) The Knicks have won nine straight games, according to the Associated Press and NBA playoff summary pages. Cleveland now heads home trailing 0-2 after dropping both games at Madison Square Garden. (nba.com) ### How did New York separate after a tight start? The game was tied before New York broke it open with an 18-0 run in the third quarter, according to NBA.com’s series coverage. NBA.com said the Knicks’ starting lineup combined for 96 points and 12 made 3-pointers, with the third-quarter burst putting Cleveland on the back foot for the rest of the night. Josh Hart was central to that stretch. AP said Hart scored 26 points, the highest playoff total of his career, while Mikal Bridges added 19 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Brunson’s 14 assists gave New York a second offensive gear after his 38-point comeback performance in Game 1. (apnews.com) ### Why did Hart’s night matter so much? Hart’s scoring changed the shape of the game because Cleveland could not focus only on Brunson and Towns. NBA.com’s recap called Hart the “Player of the Night” for May 21, while AP said his 26 points came as New York moved halfway to the Finals. (nba.com) The Knicks also showed a different route to a win than they used in the opener. In Game 1 on May 19, New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit and won 115-104 in overtime, a comeback NBA.com described as the largest in Knicks playoff history. Game 2 was different: the Knicks built separation earlier and did not need late-game rescue work. (apnews.com) ### What has gone wrong for Cleveland through two games? Cleveland got 26 points from Donovan Mitchell in Game 2, but the Cavaliers could not keep pace once the Knicks took over in the third quarter. NBA.com said Mitchell spent part of that stretch on the bench with three fouls, while the Knicks used the opening to seize control. (nba.com) The Cavaliers were also trying to respond to the collapse in the opener. In Game 1, Cleveland led 93-71 with 7:52 left before being outscored 44-11 the rest of the way, according to NBA.com’s game summary. That left the Cavaliers chasing the series before Thursday’s tipoff even began. (nba.com) ### How unusual is this position for the Knicks? New York is now two wins from its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, AP reported. The series page on NBA.com lists the Knicks ahead 2-0, with series averages of 112.0 points per game for New York and 98.5 for Cleveland through two games. (nba.com) The first two games have also come with very different signatures. Game 1 was defined by Brunson’s late scoring and the comeback; Game 2 was defined by lineup balance, ball movement and a decisive middle stretch. That gives New York two wins built in two different ways. (nba.com) ### When does the series resume, and where? Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET in Cleveland, according to NBA.com’s Eastern Conference finals schedule. Game 4 is set for Monday, May 25, also in Cleveland, before the series would return to New York for Game 5 if necessary. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) (apnews.com)