The Knicks don't need Jalen Brunson to go off to win. New York routed Cleveland 109-93 on Thursday night at MSG to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the East, while in the West, Game 3 of the Thunder-Spurs series tips off tonight in San Antonio — and both teams are managing injury lists that could decide who plays in the Finals.

Josh Hart, who was benched for the fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1, answered in a big way. The guard scored a playoff career-high 26 points on 5-of-11 from three — including two key triples during an 18-0 third-quarter run — along with seven assists. 1

The decisive run started at 71-53 with 5:36 left in the third, after Jalen Brunson (PG, Knicks) — scoreless through the first half on 1-for-5 shooting — opened the burst with a 3-pointer and added two more buckets in the stretch. Brunson finished with 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists. 1 Karl-Anthony Towns (C, Knicks) added 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges (SF, Knicks) contributed 19.

Donovan Mitchell (SG, Cavaliers) led Cleveland with 26 points but was held scoreless for the first 12 minutes and never found consistent rhythm. James Harden (PG, Cavaliers) added 18 points. The Cavaliers shot just 68.8% from the free-throw line, missing 10 freebies that stalled any momentum they built in the fourth. 1

New York's nine-game postseason winning streak is the longest in the league since the Boston Celtics won 10 straight during their 2024 title run. The Knicks haven't reached the NBA Finals since 1999.

ECF Game 3: Saturday, May 23 at Cleveland (Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse)

The Western Conference Finals series has been as close as possible through two games. Both Game 1 and Game 2 finished at 122 points for the winning team. The two teams are separated by two points in aggregate scoring (Thunder 237, Spurs 235). Both had an 8-0 run in Game 1 and an 11-0 run in Game 2. It's essentially a coin flip on paper — except for the injury situation. 2

Tonight's matchup, 8:30 PM ET on NBC/Peacock, arrives without Jalen Williams (SG, Thunder), who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury — his seventh missed postseason game. The good news for San Antonio: both De'Aaron Fox (PG, Spurs) and Dylan Harper (PG/SG, Spurs) are available tonight. Fox will make his Western Conference Finals debut after missing Games 1 and 2 with an ankle sprain. Harper, who exited Game 2 with a right adductor strain, was confirmed available Friday ahead of tipoff. 3

Victor Wembanyama (C, Spurs) has been the standout performer of the series. Through two games he has 62 points and 41 rebounds — numbers nobody has put up in the first two games of a conference finals since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1974. 2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG, Thunder) rebounded from a rough Game 1 (7-for-23 shooting) to post 30 points on 12-for-24 in Game 2.

The Spurs have 25 more rebounds than the Thunder through two games, but 19 more turnovers. Stephon Castle (PG, Spurs) has 20 turnovers across the two games — a number that will be under a microscope as San Antonio tries to take a 2-1 series lead in front of its home crowd.

WCF Game 3: Friday, May 22 at San Antonio (Frost Bank Center), 8:30 PM ET, NBC/Peacock

The injury picture across both Conference Finals series heading into the weekend:

NBA All-Defensive teams announced. The 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team: Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Chet Holmgren (Thunder), Ausar Thompson (Pistons), Victor Wembanyama (Spurs), and Derrick White (Celtics). Second Team: Bam Adebayo (Heat), OG Anunoby (Knicks), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Dyson Daniels (Hawks), and Cason Wallace (Thunder). Both Wembanyama and Holmgren, who are squaring off in the WCF, made the First Team. 3

Bam Adebayo (C, Miami Heat) was also named the 2025-26 NBA Social Justice Champion, recognizing his work leading 18 social justice initiatives and investing more than half a million dollars in youth programs during the season. 3