Knicks reach 10-game playoff win streak

The New York Knicks are one win from the NBA Finals after a 121-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday gave them a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals and extended their playoff winning streak to a franchise-record 10 games. Olympics.com reported the win moved New York within one victory of its first Finals appearance since 1999, while NBA.com said Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night in Cleveland. Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 30 points, and New York’s run has now stretched across the end of the first round, a second-round sweep and the first three games of the conference finals. ### How did the Knicks get to 10 straight playoff wins? The streak reached 10 on May 23 when New York beat Cleveland 121-108 at Rocket Arena in Game 3 of the East finals. Olympics.com said the Knicks are now 3-0 up in the series, and NBA.com described the run as New York’s 10th straight playoff victory. The Knicks opened the postseason by beating the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the first round, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, then swept the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 in the second round before taking the first three games against Cleveland. (olympics.com) That sequence accounts for the 10-game run: the final three wins over Atlanta, four against Philadelphia and three against Cleveland. ### What happened in Game 3 against Cleveland? Jalen Brunson scored 30 points in Saturday’s win, the most by either team, and told Olympics.com, “I’m at a loss for words. I thought we fought, most importantly.” NBA.com’s game coverage also listed Brunson as the series leader for New York and said the Knicks’ balance and transition game helped put them in control. (beaconjournal.com) NBA.com said the result put New York one victory from its first trip to the Finals since 1999. The league’s playoff page lists the Knicks ahead 3-0, with the Cavaliers needing four straight wins to extend the series and advance. ### Why is Cleveland’s 3-0 deficit so notable? The Akron Beacon Journal reported on May 24 that NBA teams trailing 3-0 in a playoff series are 0-161 all-time. (olympics.com) Olympics.com separately said no team in league history has recovered from a 3-0 deficit, placing Cleveland against one of the NBA’s clearest historical barriers. (nba.com) The Cavaliers entered the matchup after surviving a seven-game second-round series against Detroit, according to the Beacon Journal, while New York had more rest after finishing its previous series on May 10. Cleveland now has to become the first team to overturn that deficit just to force a Game 5 back in New York. (olympics.com) ### How close are the Knicks to ending their Finals drought? The Knicks have reached the NBA Finals seven times in franchise history and have not been back since 1999, Olympics.com reported. A win in Game 4 would end that 27-year wait and send them through the East. NBA.com lists Game 4 for Monday, May 25, at 8:00 p.m. (beaconjournal.com) ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, with ESPN carrying the broadcast. If needed, the league schedule shows Game 5 on May 27 at Madison Square Garden, followed by Game 6 on May 29 in Cleveland and Game 7 on May 31 in New York. (nba.com) (olympics.com)