Knicks top Cavaliers to take 3-0 series lead, one win from Finals

The Knicks are one win from their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999 after beating the Cavaliers 121-108 at Rocket Arena and taking a 3-0 lead that now looks less like a fluke and more like a referendum on how far New York can go. The Knicks never trailed, opened with a 9-1 burst and built an early edge that reached 10 points, then answered every Cleveland push with the steadiness that has defined this run.

Jalen Brunson set the tone with 30 points and six assists, controlling pace and shot selection in the kind of playoff performance that gives New York a clear identity late in games. Mikal Bridges added 22 points, OG Anunoby scored 21, and Karl-Anthony Towns filled the box score with 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Josh Hart added 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five steals as the Knicks finished with 27 assists, only 14 turnovers and a 56 percent shooting night that reflected how cleanly they moved the ball.

Cleveland had chances to make it a game, but the Cavaliers could not sustain enough offense or defensive stops when the margin tightened. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland, Evan Mobley scored 24, and James Harden was among the top scorers, yet the Cavaliers still shot just 12 of 41 from 3-point range and 12 of 19 at the foul line. New York’s late answer came when Landry Shamet drilled three 3-pointers in a 99-second stretch in the fourth quarter, a burst that put the game out of reach and underscored how little room Cleveland had to recover once the Knicks seized control.

The win stretched New York’s playoff winning streak to 10, making the Knicks the 10th team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight games in one postseason. That kind of sustained dominance has changed the conversation around a franchise that has spent decades chasing relevance without finishing the job. One more win, in Game 4 on Monday in Cleveland, would send the Knicks back to the Finals for the first time since 1999 and would push this run from impressive to defining, with no NBA team ever coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.

Even inside Rocket Arena, the New York presence was impossible to miss, with “Let’s Go Knicks” chants echoing through a building that had circulated fan guidelines urging Cleveland supporters to wear the provided shirt. The noise only reinforced the stakes: this is no longer just a series advantage, but a chance for the Knicks to turn a dominant spring into a franchise-altering finish.