The New York Knicks left Madison Square Garden with a 109-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, building a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. The catalyst was Josh Hart, who finished with 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting — a playoff career high — plus seven assists and four rebounds. New York heads to Cleveland in command.
Hart makes Cleveland pay
The Cavaliers came in comfortable sagging off Hart and daring him to shoot. He shot 5-of-11 from three and dictated the third quarter. New York ran off 18 unanswered points to turn a close game into a statement win. Cleveland managed just 44 points in the second half, never reclaiming momentum after that run.
“I just try to stay ready,” Hart said after the game, per ESPN. “When the looks are there, I take them.”
Brunson runs the offense, Towns holds the paint
Jalen Brunson posted 19 points and 14 assists against three turnovers — a game-high assist total that illustrates how thoroughly New York controlled pace. Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds, his size and touch a persistent problem for Cleveland’s frontcourt. Mikal Bridges chipped in 19 points off crisp ball movement on the perimeter.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 26 points and four rebounds on 8-of-18 shooting, but he got little help. James Harden, who New York schemed to exploit on defense all series, struggled to generate efficient offense as NBA.com detailed in its game recap.
What this series looks like now
New York has won nine straight playoff games. Their defense suffocates ball movement, their role players deliver when asked, and Brunson plays within the system even when he is not the lead scorer. Cleveland needs a significant adjustment before Game 3 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — or this series risks becoming one-sided fast. Game 3 tips Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
