You can sense it unfolding in real time. I could see it coming from far away.
The Cavaliers are in a slump, reminiscent of Game 1, while the Knicks find their rhythm, which they’ve consistently done over their impressive nine-game run.
Everything feels rather inevitable at this stage. There’s a certain predictability about the Knicks right now, but in a good way.
Even though the Knicks struggled offensively in the first half, they really took off in the third quarter, racking up 32 points. Their four-point halftime lead surged to 15, giving them an 11-point edge over the Cavs.
During that quarter, they nailed 13 of 23 field goals and 5 of 10 from beyond the arc.
Madison Square Garden was a bit tense as the Knicks kicked off the fourth quarter slowly, allowing the Cavs to cut the lead to single digits. They even went into the penalty zone with 9:19 left in the game.
However, the Cavs could only get as close as seven points before the Knicks regained control.
Ultimately, they took Game 2, winning 109-93, and moved just two victories away from reaching the finals.
Josh Hart was a key player in this game.
The Cavs decided against allowing Jarrett Allen to guard outside the three-point line, which meant Hart often had open looks. Although he struggled in Game 1 by hitting 1 of 5 shots from deep, he was finding it tough early in Game 2 too, making only 2 of 7 three-pointers in the first half and finishing 5 of 12 overall. That’s five more attempts than Karl-Anthony Towns, who had the second-most shots.
With Allen not defending him, Hart contributed as a secondary defender alongside Brunson. Yet, his two points in the first half were notably low for him in the playoffs against the Knicks. He was a factor in disrupting their entire offense.
But Hart and Coach Mike Brown, who remained confident in him, didn’t give up. He kept shooting, nailing all three of his three-pointers in the third quarter. It wasn’t just about the shooting; he was everywhere, contributing three assists, two steals, and an offensive rebound during that quarter. Hart ended the game with 26 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
Brunson, who had a surprisingly quiet first half, rebounded nicely with seven points and six assists in the third quarter, totaling 19 points and 14 assists for the game. He kept finding open teammates even as the Cavs doubled down, and when your teammates start making those open shots…
Towns came out aggressively, scoring 13 points in the first half to finish with 18 and pull down 13 boards.
Mikal Bridges kept up his stellar performance from earlier series, scoring 19 points on an impressive 9-of-12 shooting. Only one of those was from three-point range. He displayed great aggression in attacking the rim and continued to play solid defense against James Harden. Bridges and Towns were crucial in helping the Knicks weather a challenging first half.
OG Anunoby also stepped up, adding 14 points to the mix.
As a unit, the Knicks rendered the Cavs’ shot-blockers—Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen—fairly ineffective, leading in points in the paint 58-40.
Donovan Mitchell had a strong showing for the Cavs with 26 points, but it was mostly a one-man effort. The Knicks managed to shoot 38.8% from the field and an unimpressive 25.7% from three, while the Cavs missed ten free throws, showing signs of struggle.
Perhaps the biggest concern is the lack of bench contribution. Mitchell Robinson went 0-for-4 from the free-throw line and fell victim to the Hack-A-Mitch strategy—though he’s yet to show signs of improvement.
For now, I’m really reaching to find things to nitpick about this team.
The Knicks have diverse strategies to overcome opponents, and there are plenty of ways to energize their fans.
There have already been many memorable moments this postseason.
It seems likely that there’s more excitement on the way.
