The New York Knicks are one win away from the 2026 NBA Finals after taking a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 121-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3. The Knicks have an unassailable series lead and are one win away from making it back to the NBA Finals after a 27-year wait.
The Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson’s 30 points as they picked up their 10th straight win in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. This is shaping up to be one of the most dominant runs through the Eastern Conference in many years, as New York’s only two losses have come due to one-point margins against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
The Cavaliers lost their ninth Playoff game of this run with this loss, as the Donovan Mitchell and James Harden-led offense simply can’t keep up with New York’s.
Let’s analyze the five reasons why Game 3 went in the Knicks’ favor, as their appearance in the 2026 NBA Finals seems all but confirmed.
1. Starting Five Mismatch
The biggest strength for New York is that its starting five is full of high-quality multi-positional players that can lead the team regardless of how the opponent lines up because of their skill. Their superior starting five of Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns has been dominating all series, with tonight being no different.
All five Knicks starters ended the game with a positive plus/minus, with Towns leading the group with a +23 despite being the least productive of the five on the night. His new role within the offense makes him far more dynamic than his counterpart, Jarrett Allen. While Evan Mobley did have the edge over Hart in the power forward, Hart’s ability to plug into anywhere in the starting five ensured he had a good game.
Brunson and Bridges, as a backcourt duo, have comprehensively outplayed Mitchell and James Harden over this series. With the Cavs small forward spot being essentially shared by starter Dean Wade and sixth man Max Strus, it’s safe to say Anunoby is comfortably outplaying both by himself.
2. Mikal Bridges’ Playoff Turnaround Has Been Incredible
Towards the end of the regular season, Bridges was in one of the worst shooting stretches of his career, averaging 9.9 points on 41.3% shooting from the field over 15 games in March 2026. However, he’s been a completely different player over the last 10 games of the Playoffs.
Bridges put up 22 points (11-15 FG), six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks in Game 3, arguably the best player for the Knicks on the night. While Brunson was the leading scorer with 30 points, Bridges’ two-way play ensured the result ended in their favor. This game means Bridges has averaged 16.8 points on 68.2% shooting from the field over the last 10 games, shining in his role at the perfect time of the season.
He needs to be performing at this level consistently to finish the season out, as the Knicks are five wins away from being crowned NBA Champions. They can’t do that if this version of Bridges can’t contribute consistently.
3. Cavaliers Are Exhausted
The biggest factor hurting the Cavaliers in this series is the fact that they’re exhausted. They had to play back-to-back, grueling seven-game series against the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons before facing the Knicks, who swept their second-round opponent and are well-rested. The fatigue on the Cavaliers players is shining through.
If the 22-point lead they blew in Game 1 wasn’t enough of an indicator, the Cavaliers just don’t have the energy to keep the Knicks at bay. They got lazy with their offense and hoped chucking threes would help them win tonight, going 12-41 (29.2 3P%) from three tonight.
The Knicks also killed them in transition, scoring 17 fast-break points compared to Cleveland managing just four all game. That 17-4 differential would explain the loss on its own, but it was a result of the Knicks having more energy to attack the Cavs. Energy can’t be restored with a single rest day, so it’s hard to see how this changes in time for Game 4.
4. Jalen Brunson’s Playoff History Against Donovan Mitchell Is One-Sided
The star matchup in the clash is between Brunson and Mitchell. Mitchell was more highly-touted than Brunson at the start of their careers, with Mitchell entering the 2017 Draft and joining the Utah Jazz in the lottery, while Brunson went at No. 33 in the second round to the Dallas Mavericks in 2018. They faced off in the 2021 Playoffs for those teams, with Brunson leading a Mavs squad without Luka Doncic for three games to beat the Mitchell-led Jazz as a lower seed in six games.
Brunson and Mitchell have also matched up in the postseason in the East, with Brunson holding an 11-3 record over Mitchell, going 8-1 across their last two Playoff series matchups in the last two seasons.
This series is yet another example where Brunson is thoroughly outplaying the more highly-touted Mitchell. That reputation should change going forward, with this series making the case for Brunson as the better guard inarguably.
Brunson is averaging 29.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists this series, while Mitchell is averaging 26.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 steals.
5. Mike Brown Outcoached Kenny Atkinson
The coaching battle in this clash has been really fascinating. One season ago, Atkinson was one of the leading contenders for Coach of the Year as the Cavaliers had the best record in the East, while Brown was getting fired by the pitiful Sacramento Kings. Just a year later, Atkinson is now getting outcoached by Brown instead of Tom Thibodeau.
Game 3 saw the Knicks hold a wire-to-wire lead on the Cavs’ home court, with the franchise not being able to respond. Brown’s game plan ensured the Cavaliers were just about 10 points behind the Knicks the entire game, with Atkinson not being able to draw up anything to break that lead down, especially in the fourth quarter.
Brown ensured the Knicks attacked the tired Cavaliers on the fast-break while also attempting 13 fewer threes and going 11-28 (39.3 3P%) to ensure the team values efficiency instead of volume.
After calling out the Cavs’ defense with Harden in it, Brown has put his money where his mouth is by backing that statement up with three straight wins where Atkinson hasn’t been able to respond.
