Knicks take 2-0 series lead with 109-93 Game 2 win over Cavaliers

The New York Knicks did not need another late rally in Game 2. New York beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, May 21, and took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, and Jalen Brunson finished with 19 points and 14 assists, according to the Associated Press and NBA.com. Cleveland stayed close into the third quarter before New York used a long run to separate. ### How did this game look different from Game 1? Thursday’s game turned on control, not comeback. The Knicks had erased a 20-point deficit in Game 1, but in Game 2 they built the margin themselves and kept it. NBA.com said New York’s starting lineup produced 96 points and 12 made 3-pointers, while Cleveland could not match the shot-making once the game swung. (apnews.com) The 109-93 final also reflected a cleaner offensive night from New York. Brunson spent more of the game creating for others than forcing shots, and Hart’s scoring gave the Knicks another source of offense after Brunson’s 38-point Game 1. AP reported Brunson had 14 assists, and Hart’s 26 points were a playoff career best. (nba.com) ### What was the sequence that broke the game open? An 18-0 Knicks run in the third quarter was the stretch Cleveland could not recover from. Multiple game recaps, including USA Today and local Cleveland coverage cited in the briefing, identified that run as the point where the game shifted decisively toward New York. (apnews.com) Basketball-Reference’s play-by-play confirms the game’s arc: Cleveland was still within range before New York created separation in the second half and carried that cushion through the fourth quarter. By the end, the Cavaliers had been held to 93 points and never mounted the kind of response New York had produced in the opener. (usatoday.com) ### Which Knicks set the tone? Josh Hart was the clearest difference-maker on the scoreboard. AP said Hart scored 26 points, and Yahoo reported Hart and Brunson combined for 45 as New York’s backcourt drove the win. Hart’s production mattered because Cleveland’s defense had tilted so much attention toward Brunson after Game 1. (basketball-reference.com) Jalen Brunson still shaped the game even without another huge scoring night. Brunson’s 19 points and 14 assists gave New York steady half-court offense, and NBA.com said his willingness to move the ball helped put the Knicks two wins from the NBA Finals. ### What did Cleveland get, and where did it stall? Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points, according to the FOX Sports box score. (apnews.com) But the Cavaliers’ offense stalled after New York’s third-quarter push, and the final margin showed how little room Cleveland had once the Knicks gained control. (nba.com) The Cavaliers also now face the problem of trailing 2-0 after dropping both games in New York. NBC New York and Sporting News said the series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern. ### What comes next in the series? Game 3 is set for Saturday, May 23, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. (foxsports.com) The Knicks are two wins from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, AP reported, and Cleveland will need its first win of the series at home to avoid a 3-0 deficit. (apnews.com) (nbcnewyork.com)