Knicks seize 2-0 Eastern Conference semifinal lead with Game 2 win over Cavaliers

The New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday, May 21, at Madison Square Garden to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. New York’s starting lineup scored 96 points and made 12 3-pointers, according to NBA.com. Jalen Brunson finished with a playoff career-high 14 assists, while Josh Hart scored a postseason career-high 26 points. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points, but the Cavaliers scored only 44 points in the second half. ### How did New York separate after a close first half? The Knicks turned the game in the third quarter with an 18-0 run that pushed a tight contest into a double-digit lead. NBA.com’s live recap said that stretch “effectively swung this game for good,” and Cleveland never regained momentum. By the end of the night, the Cavaliers had been outscored 32-21 in the third quarter. (nba.com) Fox Sports’ game page showed Brunson had reached 10 assists before the end of the third quarter, a sign that New York’s offense was not dependent on his scoring alone. USA Today said the Knicks “unlocked a different way to win,” with role players carrying much of the scoring load in Game 2. ### What did Brunson say gave the Knicks an edge? (nba.com) Jalen Brunson said after the game that New York’s advantage was its ability to adjust from one game plan to the next. ClutchPoints quoted Brunson saying, “I think it’s an advantage for us, learning how to play differently,” adding that game plans change from game to game. (foxsports.com) Yahoo Sports, which republished the ClutchPoints report, also said Brunson pointed to the team’s composure and maturity during the playoff run. That matched the way New York played in Game 2, when Brunson shifted into a playmaking role as Cleveland focused defensive attention on him. ### How long is the Knicks’ winning streak, exactly? (clutchpoints.com) NBA.com’s game recap described Game 2 as New York’s ninth straight playoff win. ClutchPoints likewise said the 109-93 result was the Knicks’ ninth consecutive victory of the postseason, dating to Game 4 of the first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. That point matters because some earlier reports had described the streak as eight games. (sports.yahoo.com) The official NBA recap published after Game 2 listed it at nine. ### What has put Cleveland in this position? Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference finals after consecutive seven-game series against Toronto and Detroit, according to the Cavaliers’ playoff page. The same team page noted that the Cavaliers had previously come back from a 2-0 deficit against the 60-win Pistons in the second round. (nba.com) Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points in Game 2, but Cleveland’s offense stalled after halftime. (nba.com) NBA.com said the Cavaliers “only mustered 44 points in the second half,” and New York repeatedly answered when Cleveland tried to cut the margin to single digits. ### Where does the series go from here? Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 8:00 p.m. EDT at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, according to the Cavaliers’ official playoff schedule. (nba.com) Game 4 is set for Monday, May 25, also in Cleveland, before the series would return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 if necessary. (nba.com)