Hart Sparks Knicks As They Take 2-0 Lead Over Cavaliers In Playoffs

New York Knicks moved two wins from the NBA Finals, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93. Josh Hart delivered a playoff career-best 26 points, while Jalen Brunson added 19 points and 14 assists. The result gives New York a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals series.

The victory is the ninth consecutive playoff win for the Knicks, extending the league’s longest current postseason streak. No team has matched such a run since the Boston Celtics strung together 10 straight wins on the way to the 2024 championship, underlining New York’s current momentum.

Mikal Bridges matched Brunson with 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points plus 13 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points, supported by James Harden’s 18. The Cavaliers now face a familiar challenge, needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit for the second consecutive round, with Game 3 in Cleveland on Saturday.

New York broke the contest open in the third quarter, avoiding a repeat of Game 1 drama. An 18-0 surge flipped a tight game into a 71-53 cushion, giving New York firm control. Brunson, limited to two first-half points, triggered that decisive run with its opening basket.

Hart punished a defensive approach that frequently sagged off the perimeter. Cleveland appeared willing to help off Hart, perhaps influenced by Game 1, when Hart sat for most of the late rally and overtime, logging only three minutes across the fourth quarter and extra period yet again staying ready.

The Madison Square Garden crowd sensed the wider stakes as the clock wound down. With starters resting, fans chanted loudly, Knicks in four! Knicks in four! The franchise is back in the Eastern Conference finals for a second straight year, still seeking a first NBA Finals appearance since losing to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.