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They dared Josh Hart to shoot. Then they dared him again. Then they dared him one too many times.
The Cleveland Cavaliers spent Thursday night treating Hart as the acceptable risk in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, ducking under, helping elsewhere and living with open looks from a player who’d gone 1-for-5 from deep in Game 1.
For a while, the plan held. Hart missed his first three 3-pointers. He put his jersey in his mouth after one of them. OG Anunoby walked over and offered encouragement.
Then Hart stopped hesitating. And the Cavaliers paid for every foot of space they gave him.
The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 109-93 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden to claim a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Hart was the reason the series will travel to Cleveland with the Knicks in control. He broke out for a playoff career-high 26 points with four rebounds and seven assists, turning Cleveland’s defensive bet into the story of the night.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds, Mikal Bridges scored 19, and the Knicks won on a night when Jalen Brunson got off to a slow start but finished with 19 points on 7-for-16 shooting after his Game 1 masterpiece.
The series now shifts to Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where the Cavaliers are 6-1 this postseason.
This time, the Knicks didn’t need Brunson to save them. They needed Hart to punish the coverage Cleveland kept choosing. He finally cashed in from the right corner in the second quarter while the Knicks played him and Mitchell Robinson together, a pairing the Cavaliers were willing to test. Brunson drew a charge soon after, and the Knicks built a 45-40 lead with 3:14 left in the half. Hart made another 3 before halftime, giving him two makes on seven attempts from deep and enough confidence to keep firing.
The Knicks led 53-49 at halftime despite Brunson having only two points and five assists. Towns, Hart and Bridges were all in double figures. James Harden had 12 points for Cleveland. Evan Mobley had 14 after making his first two pop 3-pointers, early shots that gave the Cavaliers some offensive confidence after they sputtered down the stretch in Game 1.
But Cleveland’s hot start from deep cooled. Sam Merrill missed his first six shots. Robinson remained a problem at the foul line, missing his first four free throws after going 2-for-8 in Game 1. He entered Thursday shooting 35.7% from the line in the playoffs after a career-low 40% during the regular season.
The Knicks still haven’t solved that issue. They just found enough offense elsewhere to keep it from defining the night. The game turned after Cleveland tied it at 53 early in the third quarter.
The Knicks forced four straight stops, cashed in on Cavaliers turnovers and pushed Kenny Atkinson into a timeout with 8:28 left after the lead reached nine. Brunson, who had only two points at halftime, started to find his rhythm. Hart kept punishing the open space.
Another 3 from Hart put the Knicks ahead 67-53. Soon, he was 4-for-9 from deep, then 5-for-10 by the end of the quarter. What began as Cleveland’s preferred defensive outcome became a problem the Cavaliers could no longer ignore.
The Knicks ripped off an 18-0 run after the game had been tied at 53. They took an 85-70 lead into the fourth behind Hart’s 24 points, five assists and two steals on 9-for-18 shooting. Towns had 18 points and 11 rebounds through three quarters, and Brunson had nine points and 11 assists. The Knicks were 11-for-29 from deep. Cleveland, after its early burst, had fallen to 8-for-29.
Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 26 points, but he looked like a shell of his usual self. After appearing to tweak something in his lower leg late in Game 1, Mitchell looked hesitant attacking downhill Thursday. He went 1-for-4 in the first quarter, picked up his third foul with 9:09 left in the third and had only nine points and three rebounds at that point.
Even his most forceful second-half burst ended with friendly fire. Mitchell chased a loose pass early in the third quarter and barreled into Mike Brown near the sideline, sending himself and the Knicks coach toward Fat Joe’s empty courtside seat. Brown, who twisted his leg while calling a timeout in Game 1, appeared to be fine.
Cleveland made one final push. The Knicks’ lead dipped to single digits with 9:19 remaining, and the Knicks were over the limit early in the fourth. The teams combined for eight fouls in less than four minutes, five of them on the Knicks. The Cavaliers had a lane back into the game.
The Knicks closed it.
They held firm, protected the lead and avoided the chaos that turned Game 1 into an instant Garden classic. Brown said before tipoff that the Knicks understood they “got away with one” in the opener and couldn’t count on Cleveland letting another chance slip away. This time, the Knicks didn’t need a miracle. They built the lead, absorbed the stress and finished the job.
The Eastern Conference has opened for them in ways no team can control. Jayson Tatum went down. Joel Embiid was never right. Tyrese Haliburton was out for the season. Now Mitchell is laboring.
That shouldn’t diminish what the Knicks are doing. It should raise the stakes. They’re healthy. They’re defending. They’re getting winning contributions beyond Brunson. They’re two wins from the NBA Finals.
Continue reading...
The Cleveland Cavaliers spent Thursday night treating Hart as the acceptable risk in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, ducking under, helping elsewhere and living with open looks from a player who’d gone 1-for-5 from deep in Game 1.
For a while, the plan held. Hart missed his first three 3-pointers. He put his jersey in his mouth after one of them. OG Anunoby walked over and offered encouragement.
Then Hart stopped hesitating. And the Cavaliers paid for every foot of space they gave him.
The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 109-93 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden to claim a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Hart was the reason the series will travel to Cleveland with the Knicks in control. He broke out for a playoff career-high 26 points with four rebounds and seven assists, turning Cleveland’s defensive bet into the story of the night.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds, Mikal Bridges scored 19, and the Knicks won on a night when Jalen Brunson got off to a slow start but finished with 19 points on 7-for-16 shooting after his Game 1 masterpiece.
The series now shifts to Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where the Cavaliers are 6-1 this postseason.
This time, the Knicks didn’t need Brunson to save them. They needed Hart to punish the coverage Cleveland kept choosing. He finally cashed in from the right corner in the second quarter while the Knicks played him and Mitchell Robinson together, a pairing the Cavaliers were willing to test. Brunson drew a charge soon after, and the Knicks built a 45-40 lead with 3:14 left in the half. Hart made another 3 before halftime, giving him two makes on seven attempts from deep and enough confidence to keep firing.
The Knicks led 53-49 at halftime despite Brunson having only two points and five assists. Towns, Hart and Bridges were all in double figures. James Harden had 12 points for Cleveland. Evan Mobley had 14 after making his first two pop 3-pointers, early shots that gave the Cavaliers some offensive confidence after they sputtered down the stretch in Game 1.
But Cleveland’s hot start from deep cooled. Sam Merrill missed his first six shots. Robinson remained a problem at the foul line, missing his first four free throws after going 2-for-8 in Game 1. He entered Thursday shooting 35.7% from the line in the playoffs after a career-low 40% during the regular season.
The Knicks still haven’t solved that issue. They just found enough offense elsewhere to keep it from defining the night. The game turned after Cleveland tied it at 53 early in the third quarter.
The Knicks forced four straight stops, cashed in on Cavaliers turnovers and pushed Kenny Atkinson into a timeout with 8:28 left after the lead reached nine. Brunson, who had only two points at halftime, started to find his rhythm. Hart kept punishing the open space.
Another 3 from Hart put the Knicks ahead 67-53. Soon, he was 4-for-9 from deep, then 5-for-10 by the end of the quarter. What began as Cleveland’s preferred defensive outcome became a problem the Cavaliers could no longer ignore.
The Knicks ripped off an 18-0 run after the game had been tied at 53. They took an 85-70 lead into the fourth behind Hart’s 24 points, five assists and two steals on 9-for-18 shooting. Towns had 18 points and 11 rebounds through three quarters, and Brunson had nine points and 11 assists. The Knicks were 11-for-29 from deep. Cleveland, after its early burst, had fallen to 8-for-29.
Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 26 points, but he looked like a shell of his usual self. After appearing to tweak something in his lower leg late in Game 1, Mitchell looked hesitant attacking downhill Thursday. He went 1-for-4 in the first quarter, picked up his third foul with 9:09 left in the third and had only nine points and three rebounds at that point.
Even his most forceful second-half burst ended with friendly fire. Mitchell chased a loose pass early in the third quarter and barreled into Mike Brown near the sideline, sending himself and the Knicks coach toward Fat Joe’s empty courtside seat. Brown, who twisted his leg while calling a timeout in Game 1, appeared to be fine.
Cleveland made one final push. The Knicks’ lead dipped to single digits with 9:19 remaining, and the Knicks were over the limit early in the fourth. The teams combined for eight fouls in less than four minutes, five of them on the Knicks. The Cavaliers had a lane back into the game.
The Knicks closed it.
They held firm, protected the lead and avoided the chaos that turned Game 1 into an instant Garden classic. Brown said before tipoff that the Knicks understood they “got away with one” in the opener and couldn’t count on Cleveland letting another chance slip away. This time, the Knicks didn’t need a miracle. They built the lead, absorbed the stress and finished the job.
The Eastern Conference has opened for them in ways no team can control. Jayson Tatum went down. Joel Embiid was never right. Tyrese Haliburton was out for the season. Now Mitchell is laboring.
That shouldn’t diminish what the Knicks are doing. It should raise the stakes. They’re healthy. They’re defending. They’re getting winning contributions beyond Brunson. They’re two wins from the NBA Finals.
Continue reading...
