The Knicks cruised to victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals over the Cavaliers, with Josh Hart playing the somewhat surprising hero for New York with a playoff career-high 26 points.While Hart will get the headlines, and rightfully so, it’s possible the most important performance to the Knicks’ championship hopes that we saw in Game 2 was that of Jalen Brunson.In Game 1 of the series, Brunson was the bully, leading the Knicks to an incredible fourth-quarter comeback with 15 points in the final frame. Behind that effort, New York erased a 22-point deficit and went on to win in overtime.It was the type of performance that teams want to see out of their biggest stars, and need to see if they’re going to win a title.Predictably, the Cavaliers came out in Game 2 with a clear goal to not let Brunson beat them again. Cleveland clogged the lane any time Brunson even thought about driving, and shaded their defense to his side whenever the ball was in his hands, with a second defender closing extremely fast.Rather than try to bash his way through the Cavaliers' defense, Brunson was instead quick to recognize and adjust to what he was being given in Game 2, and made the Cavs pay. Hart made the shots, but Brunson finished the game with a new playoff career high of 14 assists, and likely should have been credited for several more hockey assists that undoubtedly stemmed from him recognizing a double team and quickly getting the ball out.BRUNSON DROPPED 14 ASSISTS IN GAME 2!The most by a Knicks player in a postseason game since Charlie Ward in 1998 🤯New York wins Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead in the East Finals 🍿 pic.twitter.com/ooGUWeiDHD— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2026Looking at Brunson’s stat lines from the two games, they are drastically different.GamePointsReboundsAssistsFG%+/-Game 1385615/29+15Game 2193147/16+18While the 38 points Brunson scored obviously jump off the page, I think it’s fitting that his plus/minus was actually higher in Game 2.The Knicks can win the Eastern Conference finals if Brunson is playing his best basketball. But if they are going to win the NBA Finals over the Spurs or Thunder, they need everyone on the roster playing their best, and Brunson is the force that can facilitate that."As an MVP candidate, Jalen Brunson's job is to make the game easier for his teammates,” coach Mike Brown said after the game. “That's what he did. If you don’t send a second guy at him, he has a pretty good chance of scoring. If you send a second guy at him, he’s going to make the game easier from his teammates. He’s going to find them, they just have to step up and make shots.”"As an MVP candidate, Jalen Brunson's job is to make the game easier for his teammates. That's what he did."Mike Brown talks about Jalen Brunson's efforts tonight and how he was able to facilitate for his teammates tonight: pic.twitter.com/yjuyj5AskW— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 22, 2026The first two games of the series against the Cavaliers have shown the playbook for the Knicks—Brunson needs to be so efficient as a scorer that opposing offenses feel the need to over-commit to defending him, and then he needs to be ready to tee up his teammates once that commitment comes. One type of game feeds the other, and if either fall short, the opposition has the edge.For now, Brunson has the Knicks holding a 2–0 lead and on the verge of making the Finals for the first time since 1999. If they’re going to win a title, Brunson will be the reason why, no matter what kind of stat line he produces.More NBA from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow