Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks tries to pass as Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks defends during the second half of the quarterfinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup at Madison Square Garden on December 11, 2024 in New York City. The Atlanta Hawks defeated the New York Knicks 108-100 to advance to the semifinal round.
NEW YORK (AFP) — The New York Knicks used an explosive third-quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday and take a 2-0 lead in the (NBA) Eastern Conference finals.
Josh Hart led the Knicks with a career playoff high 26 points, drilling five of New York’s 13 three-pointers.
New York star Jalen Brunson, who spearheaded the Knicks’ stunning comeback from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in a game one overtime win, scored just two points in the first half but finished with 19.
He also handed out a career playoff high 14 of the Knicks’ 32 assists.
Hart dished out seven assists himself as well as punishing the Cavaliers when they left him open from long range.
“It felt good,” Hart, who was held out of overtime in the Knicks’ scintillating comeback victory on Tuesday, told broadcaster ESPN.
“The thing I’m most happy about is I started zero for three from (three-point range), and I just kept shooting.”
“I’m putting the work in, and it’s kind of built that confidence. So it felt good.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown called it a “whale of a game” from Hart.
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“He’s a gamer,” Brown said. “When you have guys that are gamers they do stuff that people don’t think that they can do at any time.”
Mikal Bridges scored 19 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds, and with another win at Madison Square Garden the Knicks took control in the best-of-seven series before it shifts to Cleveland for games three and four on Saturday and Monday.
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and James Harden added 18 for the Cavs, who cut an 18-point third-quarter deficit to seven early in the fourth quarter only for the Knicks to surge away again.
The Cavs head home knowing they face a virtual must-win in game three, since no NBA team has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.
But Hart said that the Knicks’ ninth straight win in these playoffs doesn’t mean they can afford to be complacent as they try to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and their first title since 1973.
