NBA Playoffs: New York Knicks are two wins away from reaching the NBA Finals after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93. Basketball news

The New York Knicks are halfway through their first NBA Finals since 1999, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93; Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points while Jalen Brunson had 19 points and 14 assists; Watch NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports

Josh Hart scores a playoff career-high 26 points as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers

Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, Jalen Brunson had 19 points and 14 assists and the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday night to advance halfway to their first NBA Finals since 1999.

Mikal Bridges also scored 19 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the Knicks win their ninth straight game. This is the NBA’s longest season winning streak since the Boston Celtics won 10 straight heading into the 2024 championship.

“Just a whale of a game from Josh,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

Two nights after rallying from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Knicks ensured they would stay in control late in the third quarter with an 18-0 run that gave them a 71-53 lead. Fans chanted “Knicks in four! Knicks in four!” In the final minutes, long after the starters have gone to the bench.

“In our minds it’s 0-0. We’ve got to win the next game. It’s the most important game of the year and that’s how we treat it,” Towns said.

Donovan Mitchell had 26 points and James Harden had 18 for the Cavaliers, who needed to rally from a 2-0 deficit for the second round. They host Game Three on Saturday.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ James Harden (left) and Sam Merrill defend Josh Hart

“We have nothing to hang our heads about,” Mitchell said. “They defended home court, and we’ve seen that before so we’re going to go into Game Three.”

The Knicks are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year but haven’t played for a championship since losing to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.

Brunson scored 38 points and led the Game One comeback. He had just two points in the first half Thursday before making the first basket of the run that broke the game open and finishing with the highest assist total of his playoff career.

Hart was benched for the rally in Game One, playing just three minutes combined in the fourth quarter and overtime. The forward was shooting just 26.7% from three-point range and after missing his third from long range early Thursday, he put his jersey over his mouth and bit it, bouncing the ball hard three times in frustration. But he kept firing.

“I knew I just had to keep shooting and if I did that I’d be good,” Hart said.

Mitchell got off to a slow start with just seven points in the first half, prompting more questions after Game One about whether he was injured. His three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left gave Cleveland a 27-24 lead.

Hart responded after scoring a three-pointer

The Knicks led 53-49 at halftime. The Cavs got the first two baskets of the third to tie it, but Brunson answered with a three-pointer to start an 18-0 run. He had two more buckets in the burst and Hart hit a pair of three-pointers, the latter making it 71-53 with 5:36 left in the third. After the Cavs scored five straight, Hart scored three more and Towns scored to restore the 18-point advantage.

Cleveland cut it to single digits with just under eight minutes remaining but squandered chances to get closer with poor free-throw shooting, missing 10 in the game and finishing at 68.8%. The Knicks eventually pushed their lead to 19 points.

“It’s tough when you’re not making shots,” Harden said. “It puts double the pressure on you defensively to get stops.”

Watch NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports. Didn’t get the sky? Get Sky Sports or Stream now – no contract, cancel anytime