Alex Hunter breaks down his preview, prediction and pick for Thursday’s Game 2 matchup between the Knicks and Cavaliers.
The Knicks and Cavaliers continue the Eastern Conference Finals with Game 2 in New York on Thursday. The Knicks lead this series 1-0. On DraftKings Sportsbook, New York is favored by 6.5 points for Game 2 and this contest carries a total of 216.5 points.
Let’s dive into my preview and pick for this matchup.
The Cavaliers looked well on their way to an easy victory in Game 1 on Tuesday, leading by 22 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Knicks did the unthinkable. They quickly erased the big lead to force overtime. Then, in the extra period, New York outscored Cleveland 14-3, resulting in a 114-105 win.
In overtime, it was clear who was the more rested team, as the Cavaliers ran out of gas and looked like a club that just finished off a series with a Game 7 this past Sunday, while the Knicks had nine days of rest in their favor after sweeping the 76ers.
Per usual, Jalen Brunson led the way for New York, dropping 38 points on 51.7% shooting. The guard scored 17 points between the fourth quarter and overtime, and during this stretch, Brunson was hunting James Harden on switches and a large chunk of Brunson’s points came against Harden.
When defended by Harden in this tilt, Brunson went 8-of-12 from the field for 17 points. It was obvious what Brunson and the Knicks were doing, and when asked if he thought about benching Harden due to his poor defense following the brutal loss, Kenny Atkinson defended Harden and even praised him as “one our best defenders in these playoffs”.
Kenny Atkinson was asked if he thought of benching James Harden on defensive possessions at the end of Game 1. He replied, “No. He’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs. I trust him. Smart. Great hands. Didn’t think about that.” pic.twitter.com/BARbOppYKf
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 20, 2026
Atkinson having Harden’s back wasn’t a surprise, but if he actually believes Harden is a good defender and is going to allow him to keep guarding Brunson often, this will be a quick series. In addition to Brunson’s heroics in the Game 1 comeback, Mikal Bridges’ improved play continued with 18 points and the three other Knicks’ starters added 13 points each.
OG Anunoby was rusty with his shot in his return from the hamstring strain, going 2-for-9 from the field, but he had no restrictions, logging 34 minutes and he finished a +15 in the box-score. In his second game back tonight, Anunoby should have a more efficient night offensively. This postseason, the forward has been outstanding, averaging 20.4 PPG on 58% shooting.
On the other side, Harden didn’t cover up his bad defense with a strong offensive showing, as he scored 15 points on just 31.3% shooting and turned it over six times. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were much better, however. Mitchell scored 29 points and racked up six steals, and Mobley posted a 15-point and 14-rebound double-double. The issue was that Mitchell and Mobley went cold at the end of the game, only scoring three points each between the fourth quarter and overtime.
Mitchell especially can’t be folding like this late in games on the road, but competing away from Cleveland has been a problem for Mitchell this postseason. The guard is scoring 28.4 PPG on 48% shooting at home, but 23.6 PPG on 43.6% shooting on the road and these splits directly correlate with the Cavaliers owning a 2-6 away record during these playoffs.
In order for Cleveland to win tonight’s Game 2 in Madison Square Garden, Mitchell has to play a star and put up big points again, but the Knicks figured out how to slow him down late in Game 1. Mitchell’s road woes could reappear in Game 2. In general, New York’s momentum from the Game 1 comeback win very well could carry over into Game 2 and stopping this ascending group on its home floor could be very difficult for the Cavaliers. The Knicks have won eight straight and they lead the NBA in net rating during these playoffs while the Cavaliers rank sixth. Following Game 1 win, New York is 35-11 at home and 3-1 vs. Cleveland this season
The Knicks have been the much better team over the Cavaliers this postseason and New York will be an extremely confident group tonight after the come-from-behind win in Game 1.
The Knicks should get an easy win tonight to take the 2-0 series lead and they are an awesome bet to cover this 6.5-point spread. 6-of-9 wins for New York this postseason have been by double-digits, including four wins of by 29+ points and the Knicks are the best team in the league ATS at home with a 31-15 record this season.
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