New York now leads 2-0 in its Eastern Conference final against Cleveland, after once again winning at home, with a score of 109-93. The next two matches will take place in Ohio.
The Knicks are still masters of Madison Square Garden! New York won its second home match in the Eastern Conference final against Cleveland and thus retains the home court advantage acquired during the regular season. In front of their 19,812 passionate fans, who dream of a first NBA final since 1999 (defeat against San Antonio), the Knicks won Game 2 with a score of 109-93, confirming their victory in Game 1 (115-104).
Cleveland started strong before fading away
Although the Cavaliers dominated the start of the game (+6) and were still leading by a point in the middle of the second quarter, they were completely dominated afterwards. Two minutes after the start of the second half, the score was 53-53, and that’s when the Knicks accelerated to win that quarter 32-21. The gap widened, and the New Yorkers then controlled the final quarter, with the Cavs unable to come back within seven points.
Hart leads the Knicks
Setting a new playoff points record (26, shooting 10 for 21), Josh Hart was the main architect of this victory. Jalen Brunson added 19 points and 14 assists and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds. However, the two French Knicks players played minor roles: Mohamed Diawara did not play and Pacôme Dadiet had 75 seconds of playtime, missing a shot. On the Cavs side, Donovan Mitchell finished with 26 points and James Harden with 18. New York has now won nine consecutive playoff games, the longest streak since Boston in 2024, the year of the Celtics’ title. Games 3 and 4 will take place in Ohio on Saturday and Monday. Cleveland, who won in seven games against Toronto and Detroit in the first two rounds, must win both matches. It is worth noting that no NBA team trailing 3-0 in the playoffs has ever qualified.
