Five Key Points Ahead of Game 1: Knicks vs. Cavaliers

As the Knicks gear up to face the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, it’s worth noting some important aspects about the fourth-seeded Cavaliers.

1. Historically, the Cavaliers have struggled against the Knicks in the postseason, losing the last four encounters—from 1978, 1995, 1996, and most recently in 2023—out of 14 total games. They did win one match this season, a decisive 109-94 victory on February 24 in Cleveland, featuring James Harden, but New York took the first two games.

2. Kenny Atkinson, a former Nets coach and a native of Long Island, is now in his second season with Cleveland. Interestingly, this marks the Cavaliers’ first trip to the conference finals since 2018. Atkinson, 58, was recognized as the NBA Coach of the Year last season and also secured an NBA title in 2022 as an assistant coach with the Warriors, alongside current Knicks head coach Mike Brown.

3. The Cavaliers have three main contributors—Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen—returning from the previous year’s playoffs, where they were swept by the Knicks. In that series, Cleveland averaged just 94.2 points per game, which is quite a drop from their usual output. Mitchell, for instance, struggled with a 28.9 percent shooting rate from beyond the arc, while Mobley and Allen averaged fewer than 10 points each. Not to mention, they have former foes in Dennis Schroder, who impressed last postseason, and Max Strus, whose performance helped knock out the Knicks in 2023.

4. Speaking of notable players, James Harden has made his mark in NBA history by being the fourth player to reach the playoffs in each of his first 17 seasons, joining legends like Karl Malone and John Stockton. Now at 36, Harden, who joined the Cavaliers after a trade from the Clippers on February 7, has participated in 185 playoff games—the second-most for a player without a championship. Ironically, despite his success, he hasn’t been in an NBA Finals since he was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2012.

5. Lastly, Westchester native Donovan Mitchell had a chance to land with the Knicks during the summer of 2022, shortly after they acquired Jalen Brunson. However, when the Knicks hesitated to meet Utah’s trade demands, Cleveland stepped in and secured the star who has since achieved his third All-NBA selection. Now, he’ll be making his first appearance in the conference finals.