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The New York Knicks didn’t need a historic comeback to win Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
Instead, it was a dominant victory in regulation, 109-93, as the Knicks take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series against Cleveland this weekend.
The Cavaliers had no hangover to start the game, as they held a 27-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Knicks found the lead at halftime.
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Josh Hart of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter of game two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 21, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
It was in the third quarter where New York began to pull away, building an 18-point lead as the Madison Square Garden crowd went wild. The Knicks also went on an 18-0 run at one point, reminiscent of Game 1’s fourth-quarter comeback.
However, Cleveland didn’t let up on the accelerator despite the deficit. The Cavaliers cut the 18-point lead in half with about 8:30 left in the fourth quarter, as New York struggled to buy a basket.
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But once OG Anunoby hit a 3-pointer from the left wing, things went back to normal for the Knicks crowd.
Mikal Bridges, who had a stellar night on both ends of the floor, hit an open 3-pointer with 6:12 left in the quarter that brought the Knicks’ lead back to 13, and they would slowly slide from there.
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrates after making a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter of game two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 21, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Jalen Brunson, the team’s All-Star point guard, was phenomenal in the comeback Tuesday night, dropping 38 points. But Cleveland made their game plan known right away in this matchup, pressuring him to the point where he’d be turning over the rock on double teams.
As a result, the Cavaliers were fine with Josh Hart shooting in his place. While the plan seemed to work a bit in the first half, Hart found his rhythm in the second and set a new career-high with a team-high 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-11 from three-point range. He also got on the scoreboard with seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Brunson scored 19 points and dished out a playoff career-high 14 assists for New York. And once again, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, playing efficiently for Mike Brown’s Knicks.
With the lead back to 18 for the Knicks, all the starters were pulled with less than two minutes left, as the crowd gave their team a standing ovation for a job well done.
The Knicks shot 52% from the field and only saw 14 free throws throughout the game, but they held the Cavaliers to just 39% shooting as a team. Cleveland also failed to take advantage of key free throws late in the game, as they were in the bonus with over nine minutes left. As a team, they shot just 69% (22 of 32) from the charity stripe.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks dribbles against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter of game two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 21, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Evan Mobley also scored 14 points in the first half, but curiously didn’t make a single shot in the second half for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell matched Hart’s 26 points, although he was 8 of 18. James Harden was also 6 of 15 for 18 points.
With the victory, the Knicks have won nine consecutive playoff games.
