The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks are a better team than the Cavs in every area. The Cavaliers let Game 1 slip through their fingers by squandering a 22-point lead with seven minutes to play.
New York is poised to advance to its first NBA Finals since 1999 in search of its first championship since 1973. This is a very good team when clicking.
Historic Nine-Game Stretch
Thursday's win marked the Knicks' ninth straight victory in these playoffs, a rare occurrence.
After going down 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round, the Knicks closed out Atlanta with three straight wins, swept the Sixers, and now lead the Cavs 2-0.
Over that stretch, they outscored opponents by 212 points — the most lopsided point differential over any nine-game stretch in NBA history, regular season or playoffs.
Statistical Dominance
These have been blowouts against playoff competition. Over the past nine games, the Knicks are shooting 53.6% as a team with a 61.7 effective field-goal percentage.
The first number is the best over a nine-game stretch since the 1987 Lakers. The second number is the best ever recorded.
It's arguably the best nine-game stretch in NBA history.
Player Performances
Jalen Brunson is a total beast. Karl-Anthony Towns is doing everything.
Mikal Bridges has transformed from someone barely playable early in the Atlanta series to averaging 18.7 points on 68/50/100 shooting splits.
Josh Hart defines a winning player. The Cavs dared him to beat them on Thursday, and he obliged with 26 points and five 3-pointers.
OG Anunoby is healthy and essentially a perfect playoff player.
The Knicks are deep, they defend, they shoot, and they dominate fourth quarters.
The Eastern Conference Question
The question must be asked: How much of this dominance stems from the relative weakness of the Eastern Conference?
The East has been weaker than the West by an appreciable margin for decades. LeBron James did not reach eight straight Finals in the West.
That said, having a couple viable championship contenders can create the illusion of conference balance. Maybe the Knicks are that team.
They certainly have the look of a team that could win the whole thing. That talent now feels sturdier, built to withstand postseason rigors — a team that erases huge leads rather than coughing them up.
Serious flaws are hard to find. And yet, they're doing it in the East.