The first two games of the series have had a little bit of everything so far for the Knicks. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 22-point lead in Game 1 thanks to a strong game from Donovan Mitchell, only for the Knicks to mount a historic comeback where Jalen Brunson put on a shot-making clinic.
Game 2 was far less dramatic, but it was still an incredibly encouraging one. Brunson, instead of his usual barrage of baskets, helped defeat the Cavaliers with his patience, decision-making, and precision passing
as he picked apart Cleveland’s multiple looks. Josh Hart made the Cavaliers pay for their ghost coverage with five threes, which probably felt more like 10 threes to the Cavaliers and their fans. Karl-Anthony Towns, despite going up against some physical coverage, poured in 18 efficient points. OG Anunoby, who was able to play fewer minutes than usual, still ended the game with the highest plus-minus despite scoring a quiet 14 points. And we cannot talk about this series, and really, any playoff game since game six of the Hawks series, without mentioning Mikal Bridges. The much-maligned wing has turned in an impressive postseason for the second straight year, and he’s now looked like the prime version of Bridges that the Knicks had hoped to see when they traded for him two summers ago. He’s defending at an elite level, playing with more physicality on both ends, and is playing not only with an absurd level of efficiency, but a level of confidence and aggressiveness we’ve seldom seen during his Knicks tenure.
While momentum is real and can carry over from game to game, in the playoffs, games can often be treated as a self-contained event. It doesn’t mean that the Knicks can’t, or won’t, transfer their wave of momentum, confidence, and focus onto game three. Or that the Cavaliers, who, regardless of what they tell you, have to feel at least some dejection after losing Game 1 the way they did, and then losing Game 2 to a barrage of Hart threes. But the Cavaliers will also be returning home for the first time since game six of the second round, which took place eight days ago. They may be fatigued after playing back-to-back seven-game series, but they, and their crowd, should have some added juice heading into what for them will be a must-win game.
Is it a must-win game for the Knicks? No. But, during this time of year, one game, scratch that, one play can change everything. Having dealt with injuries and heartbreak over their last few playoff runs, they know that more than anybody. And since their game three loss to the Hawks, they’ve looked like they know it, too. Game after game, practice after practice, despite setting records this league has never seen, the players and coaches have looked and sounded happy, and at times even displeased. They’ve known that defeating the Hawks was expected. They’ve known that dominating the 76ers was just a stepping stone. And they seem to know that advancing to the finals is also not their ultimate goal.
The Knicks enter tonight up 2-0, but they’ll likely continue approaching each game with the required focus and energy as if the series were 0-0, and that should make for another close game between two teams fighting for two different things. One team is looking to crawl their way back into the series and find some life, while the other is looking to come within one game of delivering the final blows and reach the finals for the first time in over two decades.
Prediction
The big man duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen should play better. As should role players Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Max Strus, and Dennis Schroder. They’ll likely also bank on Hart not making five more threes or Brunson scoring 38 points. And they may be right. But then again, they may not be. That’s the beauty of sports-we never really know until they roll the ball out and play.
What we do know, though, is that despite all the shot-quality data and the “what if” narratives Cavaliers fans have thrown around, the Knicks have straight up been the better team so far. Yes, the Cavaliers had a large lead in Game 1, and were eight minutes of even decent basketball away from winning that game. But it’s not like they were dominating the other quarters. The Knicks have won six of the nine periods (overtime of Game 1 included) in the series, and are a +27 in the series now.
And the Knicks have done that despite shooting poorly from three for the first three quarters of Game 1, Hart being an unwilling shooter before Game 2, the Cavaliers dominating the Knicks on the offensive glass 13-5 in Game 2, and the Cavaliers outshooting the Knicks 32-14 from the free-throw line in that game. The Cavaliers have done some nice things, and some of the Knicks’ flaws and shortcomings this series have been a product of what Cleveland has done. But the same can be said for why the Cavaliers have played the way they have.
I expect a stronger overall effort from the Cavaliers and a better shooting game from their role players. But Brunson is still the best player in the series, Hart knows what he needs to do, Landy Shamet is there if Hart struggles, Bridges, and Anunoby remain elite two-way players who are defending at a high level, and scoring efficiently, Towns realized that he still cannot be guarded if he plays smartly, and patiently, even when he is out there in suboptimal lineups, and maybe most importantly, these Knicks are arguably better on the road than they are at home. Cleveland will be up for portions of the game, but the Knicks, with their hunger higher than ever, keep marching. Knicks win 105-100 to take a 3-0 lead and make it 10 playoff wins in a row.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (2-0) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2)
Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
Time: 8 PM ET
Place: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
TV: ABC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
