New York Knicks' Miles McBride, left, and Jalen Brunson celebrate during the first half of Game 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
On Tuesday night, for the first time in nine days, the New York Knicks will play a playoff game when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden.
After sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals on May 10, the No. 3 seed Knicks have had plenty of time to rest, while the No. 4 seed Cavaliers will return to the court less than 48 hours after defeating the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons 125-94 Sunday night in Game 7 of their series. Cleveland had the third-largest margin of victory in a Game 7 game on the road in NBA history.
The Knicks are in the conference finals for the second consecutive season and are as hot as any team. They have won seven consecutive games by an average of 26.4 points per game, including defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers by a franchise playoff record 51 points in clinching the first round series and scoring a franchise playoff-high 144 points in a Game 4 victory over the 76ers.
