Cavs-Knicks Eastern Conference Finals Primer

The Cavaliers opened the 2025-26 season in New York, they celebrated Christmas in New York, and on Tuesday night, they’ll continue their quest for the Eastern Conference title in the World’s Most Famous Arena – taking on the red-hot Knicks in their first ECF appearance since 2018. 

After smiting the Raptors and Pistons in seven games, the Wine & Gold take on a Knicks team that hasn’t lost since April 23 and is beating their playoff opponents by an average of 19.4 points per – locking horns every other day until a Conference champion is crowned. 

SCHEDULE

On Tuesday night, the battle-tested Cavaliers open their seven-game set against the Knicks, trying to become the first team since the 2008 Celtics to reach the NBA Finals after going seven games in each of the first two rounds. 

Game 1: Tuesday, May 19, Cavaliers at Knicks, Madison Square Garden, 8 pm ET

Game 2: Thursday, May 21, Cavaliers at Knicks, Madison Square Garden, 8 pm ET

Game 3: Saturday, May 23, Knicks at Cavaliers, Rocket Arena, 8 pm ET

Game 4: Monday, May 25, Knicks at Cavaliers, Rocket Arena, 8 pm ET

*Game 5: Wednesday, May 27, Cavaliers at Knicks, Madison Square Garden, 8 pm ET

*Game 6: Friday, May 29, Knicks at Cavaliers, Rocket Arena, 8 pm ET

*Game 7: Sunday, May 31, Cavaliers at Knicks, Madison Square Garden, 8 pm ET

* if necessary

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Both squads held serve in the three-game set this year, with New York winning the first two by a total of 10 points and Cleveland avoiding the sweep with a double-digit win at Rocket Arena after the All-Star Break. 

October 22, 2025 – Knicks 119  - Cavaliers 111

This year’s season opener was billed as a possible Eastern Conference Finals preview, and that’s just what it turned out to be in a back-and-forth battle worthy of the hype – even with both teams missing key pieces. 

The Cavaliers trailed by 15 points at half, but Donovan Mitchell’s third-quarter charge helped Cleveland tie the score after three quarters. Tyrese Proctor’s bucket to start the fourth gave the Wine & Gold a brief edge, but the Knicks answered with a 14-0 run that put the contest just out of reach. 

Mitchell scored 21 of his 31 points in the third quarter, going 9-for-14 from the floor in the period, 12-for-25 overall, adding five assists, a pair of steals and a block. Evan Mobley did most of his damage before the break – notching 16 of his 22 points in the first half – and Sam Merrill rounded out the Cavaliers starters in double-figures, going 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, scoring eight of his 19 points during Cleveland’s fourth-quarter rally. 

OG Anunoby led four Knicks starters in double-figures with 24 points and led both teams with 14 rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns also doubled-up with 14 points and 11 boards. Jalen Brunson (23 points) was 12-of-13 from the stripe. 

December 25, 2025 – Knicks 126  - Cavaliers 124

After three quarters, it looked like the Cavaliers would get their Christmas wish, but after extending their lead to 17 points early in the fourth quarter, New York rallied back to hand Cleveland a lump of coal – taking the 126-124 decision in a holiday thriller at the Garden. 

Following a big third quarter by Jaylon Tyson, the Cavs extended their lead to 103-86 with just over 10 minutes to play, but the Cavs couldn’t slow down New York’s Jaylon Brunson down the stretch. Brunson’s three-pointer with 3:48 tied the contest at 113-apiece and his bomb with 1:05 to play in regulation gave the Knicks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. 

The Cavs were led by Donovan Mitchell, who notched his 17^th 30-point game of the year, finishing with 34 points on 12-of-25 shooting, and they got a nice Christmas present before the game – with Evan Mobley returning early from a calf injury, coming off the bench for the first time in his career to finish with 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds. 

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 34 points while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson combined for 27 boards on the night.

February 24, 2026 – Cavaliers 109  - Knicks 94

New York scored the first two points of the night and got to within a point just before half, but this contest was never that close – with Cleveland pulling away midway through the third quarter and never looking back, coasting to the 109-94 victory at Rocket Arena. 

Following a loss OKC, the Wine and Gold returned to the win column in impressive fashion, winning for the 13^th time in their last 15 outings. The Cavaliers were the more physical team all night, turning in a dominant defensive performance – holding the high-scoring Knicks to just 11 points in the third quarter as Cleveland broke things open. 

Donovan Mitchell led six Cavaliers in double-figures with 23 points and James Harden followed up with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. Jarrett Allen continued his dominant February run, doubling-up with 19 points and 10 boards. 

Brunson led New York with a quiet 20 points and Mitchell Robinson led both teams with 16 boards, eight on the offensive glass. 

LEADERS

The three-game series between the Cavaliers and Knicks featured big performances by the usual suspects. Here’s who led each team in the head-to-head matchup this year ...

SCORING

CLE: Mitchell, 29.3 PPG

NYK: Brunson, 25.7 PPG

REBOUNDS

CLE: Mobley, 8.0 RPG

NYK: Robinson, 14.5 RPG

ASSISTS

CLE: Mitchell, 5.0 APG

NYK: Brunson, 4.3 APG

CONNECTIONS

The biggest connection between these two squads concerns each head coach. 

Mike Brown was the Cavaliers head coach from 2005-2010 and again during the 2013-14 season. Brown was named the league’s Coach of the Year after Cleveland posted a 66-16 record in 2008-09, two years after leading the Wine & Gold to their first ever NBA Finals in 2007. Former Ohio State sharpshooter Chris Jent was an assistant under Brown in Cleveland during the 2006-11 seasons. 

Kenny Atkinson was an assistant coach under Mike D’Antoni for the Knicks during the 2008-12 seasons and grew up on Long Island. Current Cavs assistant Johnnie Bryant was the Associate Head Coach for the Knicks from 2020-2024, helping them reach the playoffs in three of his four seasons in New York

Donovan Mitchell was born in Elmsford, NY, which is about 45 minutes away from Madison Square Garden, and his father once worked for the New York Mets. 

The inimitable Walt Frazier played with the Cavaliers during the 1977-79 seasons and lived with Jim Chones' family for a time. 

Jordan Clarkson played in 138 games with the Wine & Gold before being traded to Utah in 2019 for Dante Exum. 

Nae’Qwan Tomlin grew up in Harlem and began playing basketball at the famed Rucker Park. Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman and assistant coach Omar Cook are both from Brooklyn.

HISTORY

These two franchises have been doing battle since the Cavaliers arrival into the Association back in 1970 – and it didn’t start out well for the Wine & Gold back in those early days – with Cleveland winning just one of its first 21 meetings against the Knicks. 

While the overall series has evened out – with the Knicks winning 17 straight over the Cavs in the early-80s and Cleveland winning 11 straight and 10 straight during two different LeBron Eras – New York still leads the all-time regular season mark at 123-110. 

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been that close in the postseason – with the Knicks winning 12 of 14 all-time.

In 1978, back when the First Round of the playoffs was best-of-three, the Knicks won it in two. Mike Fratello’s defensive-minded Cavaliers faced off against New York in back-to-back playoffs in 1995 and 1996 – dropping the first best-of-five First Round series, 3-1, before getting swept in three the following year.

The next time these two met in the postseason was 2023, Cleveland’s first trip back to the playoffs since 2018, with New York winning that First Round matchup in five games - the Cavs won Game 2 before dropping the next three. 

That all becomes ancient history when next chapter begins being written on Tuesday night.