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may 22 2026NEW YORK. The New York Knicks continue their dominant playoff run, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Josh Hart delivered the best playoff performance of his career with 26 points as Madison Square Garden witnessed another collective masterclass from the Knicks.
The Knicks have now won nine consecutive playoff games, the best postseason streak since the Boston Celtics strung together ten straight victories on their way to the 2024 championship. Additionally, New York sits just two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
Two days after orchestrating a historic 22-point comeback in Game 1, the Knicks avoided any late-game drama this time, thanks to a devastating third-quarter run that completely broke open the contest.
Josh Hart was the star of the night. The wing relentlessly punished Cleveland's defensive strategy, which clearly chose to concede three-pointers after his quiet offensive impact in Game 1 of the series.
Hart had entered the game shooting just 26.7% from three-point range during these playoffs, but never stopped taking shots despite a shaky start. After missing another three-pointer early in the game, he even showed his frustration by biting his jersey and slamming the ball to the floor.
The response came shortly after.
The Knicks guard finished with a brilliant 5-of-11 from three-point range and completely led the team's offensive explosion during the second half.
Jalen Brunson, the absolute hero of Game 1, had a night much more focused on playmaking and offensive creation. The New York star finished with 19 points and 14 assists, completely controlling the team's offensive tempo.
Mikal Bridges added another 19 points and once again had tremendous defensive impact, while Karl-Anthony Towns delivered another solid performance with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers competed for much of the first half and managed to stay close on the scoreboard thanks to Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Mitchell finished with 26 points, though he once again started the game offensively limited and scored just seven points before halftime.
Physical concerns surrounding Cleveland's star also resurfaced during stretches of the game, particularly following his quiet offensive start.
The game remained tightly contested throughout the first half, with Cleveland even closing the first quarter ahead thanks to a Mitchell three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 27-24.
New York responded before halftime and managed to head to the locker room leading 53-49, though the real explosion would come after the break.
Cleveland opened the second half by quickly tying the game, but that's when the decisive stretch began.
Jalen Brunson sparked a devastating 18-0 run with a three-pointer that completely unleashed Madison Square Garden. The Knicks strung together defense, rebounding, and transition offense continuously, while Cleveland completely fell apart.
Brunson scored several consecutive baskets during the run, and Josh Hart put the game away with two crucial three-pointers, including the shot that made it 71-53 with 5:36 remaining in the third quarter.
The Cavaliers attempted to respond moments later with five straight points, but Hart answered immediately from beyond the arc and Towns extended the lead again.
Cleveland managed to get within ten points in the fourth quarter, but ultimately doomed themselves from the free-throw line. The Cavaliers missed ten free throws and finished the game shooting just 68.8% from the stripe.
The New York Knicks immediately capitalized on those misses and pushed the lead back to 19 points, securing another dominant victory in front of a completely engaged Madison Square Garden crowd.
The series now travels to Cleveland, where the Cavaliers will attempt to overcome a 0-2 deficit, exactly as they had to do in the previous round against the Detroit Pistons.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks continue establishing themselves as one of the most dominant teams in the entire NBA these playoffs and keep alive the dream of returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in over two decades.
