The New York Knicks moved within two wins of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Josh Hart led the way with a playoff career-high 26 points, while Jalen Brunson contributed 19 points and 14 assists.
Mikal Bridges also scored 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who extended their winning streak to nine games. This marks the NBA's longest postseason winning streak since the Boston Celtics won 10 straight en route to the 2024 championship.
Hart shot 5 of 11 from three-point range and also dished out seven assists. Knicks coach Mike Brown praised Hart's performance, calling it a "whale of a game."
Key Runs and Fan Excitement
Two nights after rallying from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Knicks ensured control with an 18-0 run in the third quarter that gave them a 71-53 lead. Fans chanted "Knicks in four!" in the final minute, as starters rested on the bench.
"In our mind it's 0-0. We've got to win the next game. It's the most important game of the year and that's how we treat it," Towns said.
Cavaliers' Struggles
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, and James Harden added 18 for the Cavaliers, who now face a 2-0 deficit for the second straight round. Game 3 is set for Saturday in Cleveland. Mitchell remained optimistic: "Nothing to hang our head about. They protected home court, and we've seen this before."
The Cavaliers struggled from the free-throw line, missing 10 attempts and finishing at 68.8%. Cleveland cut the deficit to single digits late but could not get closer.
Hart's Resilience
Hart, who was benched for the rally in Game 1 after playing just three minutes in the fourth quarter and overtime, burned the Cavaliers' defensive strategy of leaving him open. Despite shooting 26.7% from three-point range entering the game and missing his first three attempts, he kept firing. "I knew I had to just keep shooting and if I did that I'd be good," Hart said.
Brunson, who scored 38 points in Game 1, had only two points in the first half Thursday but made the first basket of the decisive run and finished with a playoff career-high in assists.
