The New York Knicks move within one victory of the NBA Finals after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3, with Jalen Brunson pointing to a "nothing’s going to break you" mindset as key to the run that now has New York edging closer to a first Finals appearance since 1999.
New York controlled Game 3 from the opening minutes and never trailed, with Brunson scoring 30 points, Mikal Bridges adding 22 and OG Anunoby contributing 21, as the Knicks again produced a double-digit win that kept momentum firmly on their side heading into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference series.
The Knicks have now put together at least 10 consecutive postseason victories, becoming only the seventh team in NBA history to do so, with all but one of those games
decided by double figures and an average winning margin of 22.5 points, underlining how dominant New York have been through this stretch.
Brunson explained how a calm approach has guided this surge, saying, "I’ve always tried to keep myself level-headed. You never want someone to see you when you’re too high or too low. Just having that mentality that no matter what’s going on, nothing’s going to break you, and I think I’ve had that for a long time. "
Brunson, who produced 21 of his 30 points after halftime, highlighted the mentality across the roster, stating, "We have a bunch of individuals in that locker room who work really hard, and they’re very psychotic about their work and things they do. When their number’s called and when it’s time to go, they’re ready. A lot of real professionals on our roster. "
The franchise also underlined its strong form with a social media post celebrating the playoff streak, captioned "COUNT EM that’s straight playoff wins", as the organisation and fan base note how rare such sustained postseason dominance is while attention now focuses on converting this position into a confirmed place in the NBA Finals.
COUNT EM that's straight playoff wins pic.twitter.com/urXsNSlLLrNEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2026
While New York close in on the NBA Finals, depth also proves important elsewhere, with reserve Landry Shamet hitting four 3-pointers, including three after the interval on Saturday, as head coach Mike Brown, who previously worked under Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich, again leaned on contributions from outside the starting group.
Brown described how those earlier coaching influences shaped his approach to the bench, saying, "They were guys that went deep into their bench. They would say, ‘It’s not about now, it’s about the postseason’. You keep guys engaged by you doing that. That’s something I stole from them. There were a few things I came up with on my own. I’ve seen it work in the past, and that’s kind of what I wanted to do here. "
As the Knicks stand one win away from the NBA Finals and continue their double-digit streak, Brunson’s steady mindset, a roster of prepared role players and coaching strategies that highlight depth around the league all combine to show how mental resilience, professionalism and trust in supporting pieces shape postseason success at this stage.
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