The New York Knicks continued their dominant postseason run Thursday night, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York Knicks used a decisive 18-0 third-quarter run to break the game open after rallying from an 18-1 fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 earlier this week.
Josh Hart delivered a playoff career-high 26 points, while all five Knicks starters scored in double figures for a balanced offensive attack. Jalen Brunson followed up his 38-point Game 1 performance with 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists, the most by a Knicks player in a postseason game since 1998. Also for the Knicks, Josh Hart exploded for 24 points.
Mikal Bridges added 19 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 18 points and 13 rebounds. OG Anunoby chipped in 14 points and three blocks.
Cleveland stayed within striking distance early, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 26 points and James Harden adding 18. However, the Cavaliers went scoreless for nearly five minutes during the Knicks’ pivotal third-quarter surge.
New York’s nine-game playoff winning streak is now a franchise record and the longest postseason streak by any team this year. The Knicks are also averaging 122.3 points per game during the streak, the highest-scoring nine-game playoff win streak in NBA history.
Game 3 shifts to Cleveland on Saturday.
