Knicks take 2-0 Eastern Conference finals lead with 109-91 Game 2 win over Cavaliers

The New York Knicks backed up their Game 1 comeback with a wire-to-wire second-half pullaway on Thursday, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-91 at Madison Square Garden to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, and all five New York starters scored at least 18, according to NBA.com. The result came two nights after the Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to win Game 1 in overtime, a rally The Athletic described as the largest playoff comeback in franchise history. Game 3 is set for Saturday in Cleveland. ### How did New York turn Game 2 after a tight first half? New York used an 18-0 run in the third quarter to break open a game that had been competitive through much of the first half, according to Fox Sports play-by-play and local television coverage. The run pushed the Knicks from a narrow game into a double-digit lead and gave them control of the night. NBA.com said the Knicks’ starting lineup, which had struggled in stretches of Game 1, supplied nearly all of the offense in Game 2. The five starters combined for 96 points and 12 made 3-pointers, with Hart leading the group. ### Why was Josh Hart the central number from Game 2? Josh Hart finished with 26 points, the most he has scored in any playoff game, NBA.com reported. (foxsports.com) Yahoo Sports said Hart shot 10-for-21 from the field and 5-for-11 from 3-point range while adding seven assists. Hart’s scoring stood out because Game 2 did not require another late rescue from Jalen Brunson. (nba.com) Fox Sports Australia reported that Brunson, after a 38-point Game 1, faced a more difficult scoring night in Game 2 as New York spread the offense across its starting group. ### How much did Game 1 shape the feel of this game? The Knicks entered Thursday with a 1-0 lead after overcoming a 22-point deficit with less than eight minutes left in Game 1, according to CBS Sports. The Athletic said that comeback ended as a 115-104 overtime win and ranked as the second-largest fourth-quarter playoff comeback since 2000. (foxsports.com.au) That backdrop mattered because Cleveland came into Game 2 trying to reset the series after letting the opener get away. USA Today framed the Cavaliers’ task before tipoff as a response to the fourth-quarter collapse that put them behind in the series. (nytimes.com) ### What does the 2-0 lead actually look like on the floor? The Knicks are now two wins from the NBA Finals, and NBA.com described them after Game 2 as “in complete control” of the series. Cleveland’s offense fell off after halftime, while New York continued to get scoring from multiple spots rather than relying on one late-game burst. (usatoday.com) Fox Sports’ box score listed the final margin at 18 points and showed Cleveland never recovering after New York’s third-quarter surge. By the final minutes, the Cavaliers were playing from too far behind to threaten a repeat of the opener’s swings. (nba.com) ### What happens next, and where does the series go from here? Game 3 moves to Cleveland on Saturday, May 23, with the Cavaliers needing a home win to avoid a 3-0 deficit. NBA.com’s playoff hub lists the 2026 bracket and series schedule, and ESPN’s postseason schedule says the NBA Finals are set to begin on June 3 on ABC. Cleveland’s immediate task is straightforward: protect home court and slow a Knicks starting group that produced 96 points in Game 2. (foxsports.com) New York’s next chance to extend the series lead comes Saturday night in Cleveland. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)