Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks

The Cleveland Cavaliers open the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, with Game 1 set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. ESPN said the series will air exclusively on its networks, with Mike Breen on play-by-play, Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler as analysts, and Lisa Salters reporting from the sideline. The network said its pregame coverage will begin with “NBA Tip-Off,” and “Inside the NBA” will air after each game. Cleveland reached the round after a 125-94 Game 7 win over the Detroit Pistons, ending the top seed’s season and sending the Cavaliers through on the road. Yahoo Sports and NBA.com both described the deciding game as lopsided, with Cleveland taking control early and never allowing Detroit back into the contest. The matchup with New York completes the East bracket after the Knicks advanced earlier in the postseason as the No. 3 seed. (espnpressroom.com) ### When and where does Game 1 start? Tuesday’s opener is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, according to ESPN and NBA.com. The game is part of ESPN’s Eastern Conference finals package, and NBA.com’s playoff schedule lists New York as the higher seed in the series. The Athletic’s live coverage page said Game 1 is being played in New York. (sports.yahoo.com) ### How did Cleveland get here? Cleveland arrived after beating Detroit in Game 7 on Monday’s playoff slate, with the final margin reaching 31 points. NBA.com’s recap said Donovan Mitchell and James Harden led the Cavaliers in the road win, while Yahoo Sports said Detroit “never mounted a challenge” after Cleveland seized control. The result ended a second-round series that had gone the distance against the conference’s top seed. (espnpressroom.com) ### What does ESPN’s coverage include? ESPN said Breen, Jefferson, Legler and Salters will work the full series. The network also said “NBA Tip-Off presented by AT&T” will serve as the Eastern Conference finals pregame show with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, and that Draymond Green will appear as a guest analyst for select editions. “Inside the NBA presented by McDonald’s” will follow each game, ESPN said. (nba.com) ### Who has home court in the series? New York has home court advantage as the higher seed, according to NBA.com and USA Today. USA Today said the Knicks are set to host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, while Cleveland would host Games 3, 4 and 6. That places the first two games of the series in New York before the matchup moves to Ohio. ### What comes next after Tuesday night? (espnpressroom.com) Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, according to NBA.com’s playoff schedule. ESPN said its conference finals coverage begins Tuesday and continues throughout the series on ESPN networks. The NBA said the 2026 Finals are scheduled to begin on June 3. (nba.com)