Knicks go up 2-0 in Eastern Conference finals after Game 2 win over Cavaliers

The New York Knicks returned to Madison Square Garden on May 21 and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. The win gave New York a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after the Knicks also took Game 1 in overtime. NBA.com’s playoff page listed Jalen Brunson as the series scoring leader through two games at 28.5 points per game, while Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland at 27.5. Game 2 was less about another late comeback than about control. New York led by as many as 19 points and held Cleveland to 93 points after the Cavaliers had let Game 1 slip away despite a large fourth-quarter lead, according to NBA.com and game reports. Josh Hart finished with 26 points, and Brunson added 23 points with a playoff career-high 14 assists. (nba.com) ### How did New York build the 2-0 lead? New York has won the first two games in different ways. The Knicks took Game 1, 115-104 in overtime, then followed with a 16-point win in Game 2, giving them a combined scoring edge of 224-197 through two games. NBA.com’s series page showed New York averaging 112.0 points to Cleveland’s 98.5 and 26.0 assists to 19.0 across the first two games. (nba.com) Brunson has set the tone for the series. The Knicks guard is averaging 28.5 points and 10.0 assists through two games, according to NBA.com, and his 14 assists in Game 2 were flagged by the league as a playoff career high. Hart’s Game 2 output gave New York another scoring source as the Knicks moved within two wins of the NBA Finals. (nba.com) ### Why was Game 2 different from the opener? Game 1 turned on New York’s late surge, but Game 2 broke open earlier. Yahoo Sports reported that Cleveland stayed close into the first half before New York pulled away in the third quarter and held the margin the rest of the way. Fox Sports’ box score listed the final as 109-93 and described the result as a Knicks win that put them up 2-0 in the series. (nba.com) Cleveland’s offensive issues have become a central question heading into the next game. NBA.com’s series page said the Cavaliers were “still searching for their shots to fall,” and cleveland.com framed the debate after Game 2 around whether the team should rethink parts of its offensive blueprint. Those assessments came after the Cavaliers were held below 100 points in the second game. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What has this run looked like for the Knicks? The Knicks entered the conference finals after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, according to NBA.com’s bracket. That left them with a 4-0 semifinal series win before they opened the East finals with two straight victories over Cleveland. The bracket page also showed Cleveland reached this round by beating the Detroit Pistons 4-3 in the semifinals. (nba.com) That path has extended New York’s postseason momentum. CBS Sports reported that the Knicks’ Game 2 win pushed their overall winning streak to nine games, a run that has carried them from the previous round into a 2-0 conference finals edge. ### When does the series shift to Cleveland? Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 8 p.m. (nba.com) ET in Cleveland, according to NBA.com’s Eastern Conference finals page. Game 4 is set for Monday, May 25, also in Cleveland, before the series would return to New York for Game 5 if necessary on May 27. The winner of the Eastern Conference finals will advance to face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, which NBA.com’s bracket lists as beginning June 3 on ABC. (nba.com) Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference finals 2-1. (nba.com)