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

The New York Knicks took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday, May 21, with a 109-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, Jalen Brunson had 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists, and New York moved within two wins of its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. Mikal Bridges added 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds. The Cavaliers got 26 points from Donovan Mitchell and 18 from James Harden, but left New York down 2-0 for the second straight series. ### How did New York separate after a close first half? The third quarter decided the game. Cleveland opened the second half by tying it at 53-53, but the Knicks answered with an 18-0 run that built a 71-53 lead and put the game out of reach. NBA.com’s game summary highlighted that stretch as the turning point, and Cleveland never recovered. (nba.com) Madison Square Garden was already reacting by the final minute. AP reported that Knicks fans chanted “Knicks in four!” after New York had emptied the bench, a contrast with Game 1, when the Knicks needed overtime after erasing a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit. ### Why were Hart and Brunson the central figures in Game 2? Josh Hart gave New York the scoring punch Cleveland appeared willing to risk. (nba.com) He went 5-for-11 from 3-point range, added seven assists, and punished a Cavaliers defensive approach that AP said seemed designed to leave him open from long distance. Knicks coach Mike Brown called it “just a whale of a game from Josh.” Jalen Brunson changed the game without carrying the scoring load. Cleveland sent extra attention at him after his Game 1 performance, and Brunson responded by finishing with 14 assists, his playoff career high. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game, “That’s what great players do. They read the game and the game dictated that,” according to postgame coverage. (nba.com) ### What do the numbers say about the Knicks’ form? New York’s win was its ninth straight of the postseason. AP said that is the NBA’s longest playoff winning streak since the Boston Celtics won 10 straight during their 2024 championship run. The Knicks also had four starters at 18 points or more, with all five starters in double figures, according to game recaps and box-score coverage. (nba.com) Brunson’s passing number also stood out historically for the franchise. Postgame coverage said his 14 assists were the most by a Knicks player in a playoff game this century and the most since Charlie Ward had at least that many in 1998. ### What did Cleveland say after falling behind 2-0 again? (nba.com) Donovan Mitchell kept the Cavaliers focused on the next game. “Nothing to hang our head about,” Mitchell said, according to AP. “They protected home court, and we’ve seen this before so we’re going to go to Game 3.” Cleveland also faced a similar 2-0 deficit in the previous round, AP noted. (heavy.com) Cleveland’s problem in Game 2 was offense as much as defense. Local and national recaps pointed to the third-quarter drought and the inability to keep pace once New York turned Brunson’s playmaking into clean looks for Hart, Bridges and Towns. (nba.com) ### Where can fans watch the next step in the series? Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 8:00 p.m. ET in Cleveland, according to NBA.com’s series page. NBA.com also posted game highlights, including clips focused on Brunson’s 14 assists, Hart’s 26 points and the Knicks’ third-quarter run, and a full Game 2 highlights package is available on YouTube under the matchup title. (nba.com) (cleveland.com)