Brunson, Bridges push Knicks to brink of first Finals since 1999

Brunson, Bridges push Knicks to brink of first Finals since 1999

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and Mikal Bridges added 22 as the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 on May 23, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland to take a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York led from start to finish in Game 3, putting the franchise one win away from its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.

Donovan Mitchell finished with 23 points for Cleveland, while James Harden contributed 21, but the Cavaliers shot 12 of 41 from three-point range and converted only 12 of 19 free-throw attempts. Cleveland briefly levelled at 50-50 before the Knicks responded with a 10-1 run to take a 60-54 lead into halftime and extended their advantage to 91-82 through three quarters.

New York’s run through the postseason has been historically dominant. The Knicks are the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 consecutive games during a single postseason, and all but one of those victories have come by double digits, with an average winning margin of 22.5 points. The last team to achieve a 10-game postseason streak was the Boston Celtics, who did so en route to the 2024 championship.

Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Should the series continue, Game 5 would return to Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder hold a 2-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs ahead of Game 4 on Sunday.