Knicks take 2-0 series lead over Cavaliers as Hart scores 26

The New York Knicks head to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals after a 109-93 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday, May 21, at Madison Square Garden. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, and all five Knicks starters finished with at least 18 points, according to NBA.com. New York has now won nine straight playoff games and is two wins from the NBA Finals, which are scheduled to begin June 3. ### How did New York avoid another late scare? The Knicks built separation in the third quarter with an 18-0 run after the game had been tied early in the half. Cleveland went scoreless on nine straight possessions during that stretch, NBA.com reported, and New York turned a close game into a double-digit lead. (nba.com) Yahoo Sports reported the Cavaliers later cut the deficit to seven early in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks answered with 14 points on their next seven trips. That sequence kept Cleveland from repeating the kind of comeback pressure New York had faced in Game 1. ### Why was Josh Hart the central figure in Game 2? (nba.com) Hart finished with 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range, and added seven assists. NBA.com said those 26 points were the most Hart has scored in any of his 55 playoff games. NBA.com said Cleveland repeatedly helped off Hart on the perimeter, leaving him open as part of its defensive approach. (nba.com) After a quiet Game 1, Hart made the Cavaliers pay for that choice and became the Knicks’ leading scorer. ### What did the rest of the Knicks lineup provide? Jalen Brunson finished with 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists, while Mikal Bridges also scored 19 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds. (nba.com) OG Anunoby scored 14 points, and the starting group controlled the game on both ends for long stretches. (nba.com) NBA.com noted that all five Knicks starters scored at least 18 points except Anunoby, who had 14, while the core lineup was far more effective than it had been two nights earlier in Game 1. The broader point from Game 2 was balance: New York did not need a single scorer to carry every possession. ### What went wrong for Cleveland? (nba.com) Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points for Cleveland, and James Harden added 18, but the Cavaliers shot 38.8% from the field and 25.7% from 3-point range. Max Strus went 1-for-7 from the field, and Sam Merrill missed all seven of his 3-point attempts, according to the official box score. (nba.com) The Cavaliers also missed 10 free throws, finishing 22-for-32 at the line. In a game where they briefly threatened to get back within reach, those missed points mattered. ### How unusual is New York’s position now? CBS Sports reported the Knicks’ winning streak dates to Game 4 of their first-round series against the Hawks. (nba.com) NBA.com noted New York did not have a nine-game winning streak at any point in the regular season. The same CBS schedule page said Game 3 is set for Saturday, May 23, at 8 p.m. (nba.com) Eastern in Cleveland, followed by Game 4 on Monday, May 25. If needed, Game 5 would be May 27 at Madison Square Garden, with Games 6 and 7 scheduled for May 29 and May 31. The NBA Finals are scheduled to open on June 3. (cbssports.com) (nba.com)