The knicks championships push kept rolling Thursday, and Jalen Brunson was at the center of it. The New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, their ninth straight playoff win.
That left New York up 2-0 in the series and one step closer to the NBA Finals. Brunson finished with 19 points and 14 assists, while Josh Hart added a playoff career-high 26 points.
Brunson Controls Game 2
Brunson’s 14 assists set the tone. He had 11 assists and one turnover through the first three quarters, turning the Knicks’ offense into a steady advantage instead of a streak of rushed possessions.
Hart gave New York the scoring burst it needed. He shot 10-of-21 from the field and 5-of-11 from 3-point range, and the Knicks used that balance to outscore Cleveland 32-21 in the third quarter.
Cavaliers Miss Openings
Cleveland spent much of the night chasing the game. The Cavaliers shot 38.8 percent from the field and 9-of-35 from 3-point range, and they missed 10 free throws.
They still found enough second chances to keep pressure on New York, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds and turning them into 17 second-chance points. Both teams committed eight turnovers, but the Cavaliers did not convert their extra opportunities well enough to change the result.
New York’s Early Edge
The numbers around the series add more weight to the Knicks’ start. Cleveland had won four of the last five games in each of its two previous playoff series, but New York entered with nine days off before the series began and has now run that rest into a 2-0 lead.
The Cavaliers had also played 16 games in the previous month before Game 2, and after Thursday they were down 0-2 with the burden of trying to reset quickly. Following the game, the Cavs were adamant that they just missed shots.
For the Knicks, the result is simple: nine straight playoff wins, a 2-0 series lead, and a clear hold on the Eastern Conference finals after two games.
