Josh Hart Hits His Shot; Knicks Take Care of Business. NY 109 Cleveland 93

May 22, 2026 LouV 2025-26 0
Josh Hart led NY with 5-11 shooting from 3 and 26 pts overall. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

Cleveland blitzed Jalen Brunson from the start with double teams, so he passed to everyone else for 14 assists — most notably Josh Hart who hit his shot in scoring 26 pts to lead the Knicks to a 109-93 win at an Electric Madison Square Garden on a Thursday night. NY takes a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

NY blitzed Cleveland with an 18-0 run at the start of the 3rd quarter to turn a 53-53 tie into a 71-53 Knick lead.

The Cavaliers got a lot of foul calls to start the 4th quarter and pulled within 7 pts after a Jaylon Tyson drive with 8:59 left. But OG Anunoby hit a huge 3 to push the lead back to 10, and within minutes NY led by 14 again after clutch buckets by Mikal Bridges, OG, and Hart. Jalen Brunson then scored 6 straight pts to move the Knick lead to 19 with 2:55 left.

Cleveland waived the white flag and brought in the 3rd team with 1:15 left, down 109-91 after another Brunson drive. NY did similar.

Hart ended up 5-11 from 3 and 10-22 overall for 26 pts, with tremendous D, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals — after sitting in the 4th quarter and overtime of Game 1 because Landry Shamet was hot.

“It’s just who Josh is,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards. “He’s a gamer. He knew what he had to do in terms of the adjustments he needed to make in order to be effective, not just for him but for the team.”

1. Cavs Come Out Blitzing Brunson

The Cavs had just gotten creamed in the 4th quarter and overtime in game 1, losing a 22-pt lead with 7:58 left to end up losing by 11 as Jalen Brunson went bananas, scoring at will — most notably on James Harden.

Cleveland came out blitzing Brunson with traps and double teams — and so Brunson passed, and passed, and passed — ending up with a playoff career high 14 assists.

Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart were early recipients of Brunson passes.

2. KAT Takes It to the Rim

Then late in the 1st quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns started blitzing to the basket for power moves.

“Love seeing this from Karl Anthony Towns,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Quick, decisive with zero thought of settling here. After catching, has Harden on him, zero wasted dribbles goes right at Allen and finishes at rim . Put your defender at your mercy and punish a mismatch.”

3. Cavs Shake Off Last-Game Loss; Come Out with Gusto

Many thought NY would maintain the MOJO of the end of the 1st game and run Cleveland off the court. But it became clear by the end of the 1st quarter — with Cleveland up 27-24 — and doubly clear by midway through the 2nd quarter — in a tie game — that that was not going to be the case.

The Cleveland defense on Brunson was much better, and James Harden was playing a much better game — both on defense and on offense, where he was penetrating and scoring, and hitting 3’s.

4. Hart Starts Hitting His Shot; NY Takes 53-49 Lead at Half

Josh Hart sat out the end of the 4th quarter and overtime in Game 1, as Landry Shamet was red hot.

Some expected Hart to come out and make up for that — but in this game he kept missing open looks as he had in the 1st game. He was 0-3 from 3 but finally hit one to put NY ahead 45-40 with 3:30 left in the half.

James Harden responded with a 3 to tie the game 45-45 with 2:2o left in the half.

But Josh Hart was just beginning to cook. A spin move by Hart put NY up 47-45.

Mobley missed a 3, and down the other end OG Anunoby hit a 3 to put NY up 50-45.

A Harden floater pulled Cleveland back within 3 but 2 possessions later, Brunson drove right and fed Hart at the top of key for ANOTHER big 3.

Jarrett Allen scored inside to make it a 53-49 Knick lead at the half.

5. NY Goes on 18-0 Run at Start of 3rd, Go Up 71-53

The score was 53-53 near the beginning of the 3rd quarter, when NY amped up its defense and went on an 18-0 run.

  • Brunson hit 3,
  • KAT ripped down a rebound and fed Brunson on the break who fed Hart for a drive,
  • The Knicks defense forced a Donovan Mitchell turnover,
  • Brunson hit a turnaround inside over Dean Wade (the Cavs preferred defender on Brunson),
  • The Knicks defense forced an Evan Mobley turnover inside — and it went the other way — Hart to Bridges for a drive and a Knicks 62-53 lead. Cleveland timeout.

Out of the timeout:

  • Harden missed on a drive, and OG rebounded in traffic,
  • Dean Wade missed a 3,
  • Brunson scored on a drive,
  • KAT played excellent D on Jarrett Allen, forcing a miss inside,
  • But on next possession a foul was called on Towns sending Allen to the line where he missed 2 free throws,
  • Brunson drove left baseline and fed Hart at the top of key for ANOTHER 3,
  • Strus missed a 3 and KAT grabbed another big rebound,
  • Sam Merrill missed a contested 3, leading to another NY fast break —  Brunson to Hart who was fouled and went down Hard. Hart hit the 1st free throw but missed the second — but the Knicks got the offensive rebound.
  • NY inbounded and Hart hit ANOTHER 3 from top of the key for a 71-53 Knick lead with 5 minutes left. An 18-0 Run.

Cleveland pushed right back with a Max Strus 3 and Jarrett Allen offensive rebound and put-back on the next possession to cut the Knick lead to 13 pts.

But Hart hit ANOTHER 3 from corner for a 74-58 Knick lead.

KAT Goes to Work

Then KAT went back to work.

  • A KAT power move inside gave NY a 76-58 lead with 3 minutes left,
  • Towns hit ANOTHER 3 from the corner to make it 79-63 with just under 1 minute left,
  • KAT then blocked a shot — but was called for goaltending.

Then Jordan Clarkson — a scorer’s scorer — split the defense for a drive to put NY up 16 with 81-65 with 1:30 left.

To cap off the quarter, Brunson fed Mitch for an alley oop slam. NY led 80-65 lead after 3.

6. Cavs Get Calls to Go on 8-0 Run to Pull within 7 in 4th

The refs seemed intent on keeping it close at the start of the 4th quarter — NY kept getting hit with loose-ball foul calls.

  • KAT drove to the bucket and appeared to be fouled but no call.
  • Down the other end KAT was charged for a loose-ball foul.
  • A foul on Shamet put Donavan Mitchell to the line for 3 free throws. He made all 3.
  • A foul on McBride put Sam Merrill to the line. He made 1 of 2.
  • A foul on Clarkson put the Knicks in the penalty and Jaylon Tyson to the line with 9:19 left. He made both cutting the Knick lead to 9 pts.

Meanwhile Miles McBride missed 2 drives and two 3’s on the Knicks’ offensive end — one drive off an offensive rebound rolled in and out.

A Jaylon Tyson drive off a steal pulled Cleveland within 7 with 8:59 left.

7. OG & Bridges Buckets Put NY Back up 14

But the Knicks made a stand: OG hit a HUGE 3 from the top of key off a Brunson swing pass to put NY back up 10.

Donovan Mitchell answered with a floater to pull Cleveland within 8 with 7:46 left and cause a Knicks timeout.

Cleveland Hack-a-Mitch Strategy Backfires

Cleveland then fouled Mitchell Robinson just as he was being put back into the game. Coach Mike Brown simply pulled Mitch out immediately and put KAT back in. The foul put Cleveland over the limit.

And NY started to cook again:

  • Brunson fed Mikal Bridges inside for a floater and 10-pt Knick lead.
  • Schroeder was fouled by Brunson — but missed both free throws.
  • OG made a power baseline move for a bucket inside and 12-pt lead.
  • Schroeder came back with a deuce from the left side.
  • But Bridges hit a Huge 3 from the corner for a 13-pt Knick lead with 6:12 left.

  • Harden hit a 3 from the corner to pull the Cavs back within 10, but
  • Brunson came back with a stutter-step floater in traffic over Harden.
  • Mobley was fouled inside but missed both free throws, and
  • Hart made a spin move in the lane for a bucket and a 14-pt Knick lead.

“Josh Hart is a winning player who sat on the bench crunch time the other night,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “But rather than sulk he brings that same big time effort, turns 50/50 balls into 20/80 balls, defends, finds open man and he shot the ball with confidence. Josh plays solely for the name in the front.”

8. Brunson 6 Straight Pts Put NY Up 19 with 2:55 Left

Brunson then took charge to put it away:

  • Brunson was mauled by Donovan Michell at the halfcourt line for a foul; Brunson made both free throws for a 101-86 Knick lead.
  • Jarrett Allen missed inside — and Brunson SPRINTED down court for an ahead-of-field drive for a 103-86 Knick lead with 3:18 left. A 17-pt lead.
  • Strus missed a 3 and Hart came flying in for the rebound. Strus then mauled Brunson and Brunson hit 2 more free throws for a 19-pt Knick lead with 2:55 left.

Harden made a drive-and-1 to pull Cleveland with 14 with just over 2 minutes left, but a Bridges floater with 1:43 left put NY up 107-91 for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401873342

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