Knicks rout Cavaliers 109-83 to take 2-0 Eastern Conference lead

The New York Knicks took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 109-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points and made five 3-pointers as New York pulled away in the second half. The Knicks have won nine straight games, and NBA.com said the franchise holds a 2-0 conference finals lead for the first time since 1994. Cleveland now returns home needing a response in Game 3. ### How lopsided was Game 2 after halftime? New York turned a close game into a rout with an 18-0 run in the third quarter, according to Fox Sports play-by-play data. The Knicks led 53-49 at halftime and pushed the margin to 83-70 by the end of the third. The 16-point final margin did not fully capture the control New York had late. Fox Sports showed the Knicks ahead 109-91 with 1:15 remaining after Cleveland's Max Strus fouled out. NBA.com listed the final as 109-93. ### Why was Josh Hart the central figure this time? Hart finished with 26 points, seven assists and four rebounds, and he went 5-for-11 from 3-point range, according to NBA.com and local game coverage. After Jalen Brunson carried stretches of Game 1, Hart became the Knicks' leading scorer in Game 2. NBA.com said Hart grabbed the spotlight while Brunson shifted into more of a playmaking role. (foxsports.com) Brunson finished with 14 assists, the league site said, as New York spread the scoring load across its starting group. ### What did the Knicks do besides make shots? The Knicks' starting lineup set the tone on both ends, NBA.com said in its takeaways from the game. (nba.com) New York used ball movement and defense to create separation after halftime, and Cleveland struggled to keep pace once the Knicks' offense opened up. Fox Sports' game tracker showed New York's third-quarter surge flipped the game decisively. (nba.com) Cleveland was still within 56-53 before the Knicks' extended run turned the score to 71-56 with 5:04 left in the quarter. ### How much trouble are the Cavaliers in now? (nba.com) Cleveland.com said the Cavaliers were "outclassed" in Game 2 and now trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. The loss followed New York's Game 1 comeback from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit, leaving Cleveland without a split in the first two games at Madison Square Garden. (foxsports.com) The Knicks are now two wins from the NBA Finals, according to an Associated Press report carried by U.S. News. That report also confirmed Hart's 26 points and the 109-93 final. ### How unusual is this run for New York? NBA.com and ESPN's schedule pages place New York deep into a postseason run that now includes a nine-game winning streak and a 2-0 edge in the East finals. (cleveland.com) The league site said this is the Knicks' first 2-0 lead in a conference finals since 1994. The recent context matters because Game 1 had already become one of the defining swings of the playoffs. (usnews.com) The Athletic's live coverage said New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in that opener before winning 115-104 in overtime. ### When and where is the next game? (nba.com) Game 3 moves to Cleveland on Saturday, May 23, with the Cavaliers hosting the Knicks as the series resumes. ESPN's schedule page lists the ongoing playoff slate, and the series now returns to Ohio with New York holding a 2-0 lead. (espn.com) (nytimes.com)