Knicks take commanding 2-0 series lead over Cavaliers with 109-93 win

The New York Knicks didn’t need a historic comeback to take Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

Instead, it was a dominant 109-93 victory in regulation, with the Knicks holding a 2-0 lead in this weekend’s best-of-seven series against Cleveland.

The Cavaliers, who closed the first quarter ahead 27-24, did not have any problems starting the match. However, the Knicks managed to take the lead at halftime.

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In the third quarter, New York began to pull away and took the lead by as many as 18 points as the Madison Square Garden fans went wild. The Knicks also went on an 18-0 run at one point, which was reminiscent of the comeback in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

But Cleveland wasn’t letting off the gas despite its deficit. The Cavaliers cut an 18-point lead in half with about 8:30 left in the fourth quarter, as New York struggled to score a basket.

KNICKS RETURN TO SHOCK CAVS IN GAME 1 AS JAMES HARDEN’S DEFENSIVE PLAY IS UNDER EXAMINATION

However, things returned to normal for Knicks fans with OG Anunoby’s three-pointer from the left wing.

Mikal Bridges, who had a great night on both ends of the court, hit an open three-pointer with 6:12 left in the fourth quarter, allowing the Knicks to get back up to 13 and they survived from there.

Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrates after making a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 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)

The team’s All-Star point guard, Jalen Brunson, had an outstanding performance, scoring 38 points in the comeback on Tuesday night. However, Cleveland quickly announced its game plan in this matchup and put enough pressure on the double teams to give up the rock.

As a result, the Cavaliers settled for Josh Hart to take the shot. Although the plan seemed to work somewhat in the first half, Hart found his rhythm in the second half and set a new career high by scoring a team-high 26 points on 10/21 shooting, including 5/11 from three-point range. He also chipped in with seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Brunson, meanwhile, had 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists for New York. And once again, Karl-Anthony Towns performed effectively for Mike Brown’s Knicks team, scoring a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

As the Knicks’ lead grew to 18, all starters were withdrawn with less than two minutes left in the game as the crowd gave a standing ovation to teams that had done a good job.

The Knicks shot 52% from the field and had just 14 foul shots the entire game, but they held the Cavaliers to just 39% shooting as a team. Cleveland also failed to capitalize on key free throws late in the game, as they were in bonus with over nine minutes remaining in the game. As a team, they shot just 69% (22/32) from the charity stripe.

New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson dribbles against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the third quarter of Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 21, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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Evan Mobley also scored 14 points in the first half, but could not make a single shot for Cleveland in the second half. Donovan Mitchell shot 8-of-18 to equal Hart’s 26 points. James Harden also scored 18 points on 6/15 shooting.

With this win, the Knicks have won nine consecutive playoff games.

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