Latest:
may 24 2026CLEVELAND. The New York Knicks continue their dominant playoff run, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Jalen Brunson led the way with 30 points in another dominant performance as New York inches closer to its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
The New York Knicks are now just one victory away from sweeping their second consecutive playoff series and continuing one of the most impressive runs in recent NBA history.
The Knicks have now won ten consecutive playoff games, becoming just the seventh team ever to reach that mark during a single postseason. The last precedent was the Boston Celtics in 2024… and they went on to win the championship.
Moreover, New York's dominance has been overwhelming. All but one of their victories have come by double digits, and the team is winning by an average of 22.5 points during this spectacular streak.
From the opening tip, Mike Brown's squad completely controlled the pace of the game. The Knicks came out with tremendous offensive aggression and immediately punished Cleveland's defensive lapses.
New York made their first four shots and quickly built a 9-1 lead before even two minutes had elapsed. The visiting offense flowed constantly throughout the first quarter, and the Knicks closed the opening twelve minutes in control 37-27 after shooting a spectacular 12 of 17 from the field.
Jalen Brunson once again completely controlled the game from the point guard position and in scoring, though this time he found plenty of offensive support around him.
Mikal Bridges added 22 points and continued to have tremendous impact on both sides of the floor, while OG Anunoby continued solidifying his impressive physical return with another 21 points.
New York's offensive efficiency was once again spectacular. The Knicks finished the game 43 of 77 from the field, along with a solid 11 of 28 from three-point range and an excellent 24 of 27 from the free throw line.
The Cleveland Cavaliers tried to respond during the second quarter and managed to tie the game at 50 following a timeout by James Harden. The veteran point guard finished with 21 points and was one of the few local players able to sustain the team offensively during certain stretches.
Donovan Mitchell added 23 points, though he continued to struggle against the physical and defensive pressure applied by the New York Knicks.
Every time Cleveland seemed to get close, the Knicks responded immediately.
After the 50-50 tie, New York responded with a 10-1 run to completely regain control before halftime and head to the locker room leading 60-54.
The second half only confirmed the visiting team's superiority.
Brunson took on offensive responsibility again during the third quarter and led another 8-1 run that allowed the Knicks to extend their lead to 83-70 with less than four minutes remaining in the period.
Although Cleveland still had hope entering the fourth quarter after pulling within 91-82, the decisive blow came shortly after from the visiting bench.
Landry Shamet completely destroyed any local hopes by hitting three three-pointers in just 99 seconds. That offensive explosion pushed the score to 105-94 and completely silenced the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavaliers found no answers on either end of the floor and ended up watching New York comfortably control the final stretch of the game.
Now the Cleveland Cavaliers are forced to attempt a historic comeback to avoid elimination. No team in the NBA wants to face a 0-3 deficit, and especially not against a Knicks team that is arguably experiencing the best competitive moment of any team in the league.
For their part, the New York Knicks will have their first chance this Monday to return to the NBA Finals more than two decades later.
