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New York Knicks beat Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93, lead Eastern Conference finals 2-0, Josh Hart scores 26, Jalen Brunson posts 19 points and 14 assists, Donovan Mitchell scores 26
NBA: New York Knicks 109-93 Cleveland Cavaliers (AP)
The New York Knicks moved within two wins of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Josh Hart delivered one of the best playoff performances of his career, scoring 26 points and hitting five three-pointers as the Knicks extended their postseason winning streak to nine games. Jalen Brunson added 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists, while Mikal Bridges also scored 19 and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds.
“It felt good,” said Hart, who was held out of overtime in the Knicks’ scintillating comeback victory on Tuesday, speaking to 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.”
How New York Knicks Beat Cleveland Cavaliers?
New York Knicks seized control with a decisive 18-0 run in the third quarter after Cleveland Cavaliers had tied the game at 53-53 early in the period. Brunson sparked the surge with a three-pointer before Hart connected from deep twice during the stretch, helping the Knicks open up a 71-53 lead.
Knicks coach Mike Brown praised Hart’s impact throughout the game.
“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.”
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points, while James Harden added 18, but the Cavaliers struggled offensively during key stretches, including a five-minute scoreless drought in the third quarter.
“I thought we had a lot of good looks, a lot of good looks from (three-point range), good looks at the rim,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “(We) took care of the ball, offensive rebounds.
“It wasn’t a great shooting night,” he added. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to put the ball in the hole. Tonight we didn’t.”
Mitchell agreed with his coach’s assessment.
“We just didn’t make shots,” he said. “I loved everything about the looks we got. Some days you just miss the open ones.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
California, USA
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