CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers are a vastly different team now than they were three years ago. Yet, here they are in a similar spot they were then: Losing to the New York Knicks in the playoffs in humiliating fashion. Just this time, it’s in the Eastern Conference Finals instead of the first round.

And somehow, the gap feels wider now. Or at least it has through three games.

The Knicks outclassed the Cavs in nearly every area, as they came away with a 121-108 Game 3 victory in a contest they never trailed in. They now have a 3-0 lead with a chance of ending Cleveland’s season on Monday.

It’s clear who’s been better through three games. The Knicks are just a complete basketball team in a way that the Cavs aren’t.

Offensively, they have a better understanding of how they want to attack their opponent. They’re lethal at all three levels. That variety means they aren’t overly reliant on the three-ball or getting to the free-throw line.

Each starter can pass, dribble, and shoot at an average level or better. If you sell out to stop one, there’s someone behind them capable of making you pay for it.

They aren’t without deficiencies defensively. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are both below-average defenders for their position, but the team compensates for that well.

The Knicks know how to keep both from being on an island defensively. The player they’re trying to hide is comfortable hedging and then recovering back to his man, while the more adept defender fights through the screen. That’s something you need to be proficient at if you know your opponent is going to try to single someone out.

But more than that, they have principles that guide them defensively. They’ve relentlessly tagged the roller and have sold out to stop interior passes and easy looks around the rim. That can make them susceptible to outside shots, but hasn’t thus far this postseason.

This stands in stark contrast with the Cavs.

Cleveland doesn’t have those same guiding principles on either end. They’re too willing to take the path of least resistance. That has allowed the Knicks to bait the Cavs into taking the shots they want them to offensively (threes) and attacking the guys they want to defensively (James Harden).

The Knicks are surrendering open threes, and the Cavs still can’t make them pay.

Before the game, both coaches talked about the open three-point looks the Cavs generated through the first two games.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson preached wanting his team to stick to the process. “Keep taking them,” Atkinson said after mentioning the three-point looks his team took in Game 2 were in the 93rd percentile.

Meanwhile, Knicks head coach Mike Brown said that his team needed to “do a better job” of contesting open looks. “We’ve gotten a little lucky. They’ve missed some shots.”

That luck continued. The Cavs overall went just 12-41 (29.3%) from three. On the series, they’ve now missed 89 triples and are shooting below 30%.

It’d be one thing if this were a normal defensive game plan, but the Knicks are simply daring the Cavs best shooters to beat them, and they inexplicably aren’t. That includes Harden and Donovan Mitchell who combined to go 4-17 from beyond the arc.

“We gotta make shots,” Harden said. “We haven’t really made a shot since the first quarters in Game 1.”

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Fatigue may have something to do with the missed shots. The Cavs haven’t had consecutive off days for three-and-a-half weeks now. Tired legs inevitably make it more difficult to shoot. But that isn’t an excuse that you could really use, considering what came before.

Cleveland had golden opportunities to win Games 4 and 6 against the Toronto Raptors, and didn’t come out with the force needed in Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons. Taking care of a few of those winnable games would’ve given them more rest, so this wouldn’t have been an issue.

“We did it to ourselves, we can’t be mad now,” Mitchell said.

You pay for every mistake that you make in the playoffs, either in the moment or in the future. Cleveland’s previous errors are catching up to them now against a team they need to be playing at or near the top of their game to beat.

You aren’t going to win many playoff games when your best player has the worst plus/minus in the game.

The Cavs lost the minutes Mitchell played by 22. This is the fourth time he’s been a -10 or worse this postseason, and they’ve lost each of those games.

The holes in Mitchell’s games are showing through in this postseason, but particularly in this series. When the outside shot isn’t falling, his only counter is to get to the basket. That has allowed him to still put up respectable scoring numbers. Although the impact on the game isn’t what it needs to be.

There’s more to basketball than just scoring. He hasn’t made consistent enough efforts at defending, rebounding, or playmaking for others to be a positive contributor in those areas. That’s part of why he hasn’t been able to carry lineups without Harden (-7.3 net rating, 23rd percentile).

Mitchell is being outplayed by Brunson for the third time in the postseason dating back to their time in the Western Conference. Both are similar from a talent perspective as undersized scoring guards. But Brunson is better at all the little things that show through in the postseason.

Brunson’s ability to set up his teammates (14 assists in Game 2), compete defensively, and attack in the midrange are all things that Mitchell doesn’t consistently have in his game. That versatility has allowed him to elevate his groups on days he doesn’t have it going as a scorer.

It was easy to see where the Cavs went wrong when they fell on their face three years ago. That group was inexperienced and didn’t have enough outside shooting to be functional in the postseason.

This team is considerably better. You don’t luck your way into being a conference finalist. However, figuring out the next step forward is more difficult, especially for the most expensive roster in the league that doesn’t have many additional levers to pull.

There’s no simple solution to this. LeBron James deciding to come back home and signing for far below market value would help, but it doesn’t necessarily fix everything given he’ll be 42 at this time next year. There would still be holes defensively, and the offense wouldn’t be smooth with multiple ball-dominant players.

Pivoting further by moving more integral pieces is easier said than done. Would you really want to trade Evan Mobley, one of the few Cavaliers who’s elevated his game in the playoffs? Does it make sense to further break up the nucleus of one of the most successful eras in franchise?

At the same time, it’s dangerous to continue betting on a group that has shown the same flaws in multiple postseason runs. That includes deciding whether or not to give Mitchell a further extension this summer.

Firing Atkinson would be the simplist solution. It’s easier to get rid of the coach than it is the team. But I’m not sure this is a coaching issue when we saw this group go seven games with the previous fall guy.

The gap between who the Cavs are and who they want to be is wider than it’s been since Mitchell was traded over. And there’s no easy answer for any of this.

The Cavaliers are one loss away from what could be an unpredictable summer.

LeBron James will be an unrestricted free agent beginning this July.

He will have his say in where he wants to play during the 2026-27 NBA season, if he chooses to play another year, which would be his 24th, extending his NBA record.

James provided a timeline on which a decision could be made, but speculations are leaning that he'll play another season.

ESPN senior insider Shams Charania joined the Rich Eisen Show and shared what he knew about James' potential decision.

"Lebron is 41 years old, just finished his 23rd season, (and is) gonna take the next few weeks to figure out exactly how he wants potentially his final year to play out," Charania said. "All the indications I've gotten over the course of year is that he's going to play one more season."

So, say James does opt for a 24th and final NBA season, or maybe beyond 24, there's expected to be a number of teams clamoring for his services.

"The one thing I do know is that multiple contenders are already kind of sort of circling here," Charania said. "If LeBron is really going to hit the open market and decide and have a true free agency, he's not going to have a shortage of teams that feel like, 'Listen, we'll go get LeBron, we'll plug him in as their starting power forward or small forward, and, like, "Let's go try to win a ring.'"

Here are potential contenders and landing spots for James if he leans towards that decision in the upcoming months:

This is the Brand Risk 14 live blog for Michael Beasley vs. Lance Stephenson, the influencer MMA fight on Saturday night at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

Drafted second overall in the 2008 NBA draft, Beasley is a longtime professional basketball player, playing 11 years in the NBA, and several more years in international leagues. Beasley last played in 2022 for the Shanghai Sharks, and now turns his attention to the combat sports world, taking on a former NBA rival in the process. The two have some history, competing against each other in Big3 basketball and playing a game of 1-on-1 against each other for $100,000 last year.

Chosen in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft, Stephenson followed a similar career path to Beasley, playing over 10 years in the league, bouncing among different teams, with some international stints as well. Known for his chaotic and pestering playstyle, Stephenson looks to bring that same sort of energy to his first MMA fight.

Check out the live blog for Michael Beasley vs. Lance Stephenson below.

Preamble

This event sure has been something. A lot of weirdness, and Ray J even acting real weird after losing his fight, like they were trying to do something.

Anyway, let’s watch some former NBA players fight.

Pre Fight

If nothing else, at least both Stephenson and Beasley are former professional athletes and in good shape. That has not been the case for many of the bouts tonight. And both men look like they’re ready to actually get into a fight. But we will see.

Round 1

Beasley looks much taller but already the difference can be seen between these two. Beasley is feinting a lot and then lands a sharp left hand at range. But Stephenson charges in gets a body lock, lifts and takes Beasely down. Beasley going for a guillotine choke but he definitely doesn’t know how to do that.

Stephenson breaks free and Beasley rolls and Stephenson to the back as Beasley rolls! He grabs the rear-naked choke! Stephenson doesn’t have any sort of control here, but Beasley has no clue what he’s doing and Stephenson has a choke in! He squeezes and there’s the tap!!

Official Decision

Lance Stephenson def. Michael Beasley via submission (rear-naked choke) — 1:26, Round 1.

Post Fight

“Practicing getting choked and getting choked ain’t the same!” – Michael Beasley.

Beasley then says he’ll box but he’s not playing with “that choking shit” again.

Stephenson then says he’s from the hood, and they joke around with Beasley fake punching him.

Then Stephenson says Beasley beat him in 1-on-1, he won the fight, so “next time we’ll do something he wants to do.”

That was silly but kinda fun.

After stealing home court advantage with a thrilling victory in Game One, the San Antonio Spurs had it taken away from them in a Game Three loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now the stakes are even higher in Game Four, as the Spurs try to avoid going down 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals.

So far, the Thunder have made the most impactful adjustments in the series. They’ve put a big man on Victor Wembanyama to keep him from dominating the paint, played with a lot of physicality on both ends, and relied on their bench scorers to hit open shots when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander faced double teams. Now, after losing two games in a row, the Spurs will need to counter OKC’s counters to even up the series.

They’ll try to do it at seemingly full health. De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper avoided the injury report for Game Four, but remain hobbled as they both deal with lower-body injuries. Meanwhile, the Thunder will be without Ajay Mitchell and potentially Jalen Williams, removing two important ball-handlers who support SGA.

Only 15 teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Playoffs (including two this year). Tying the series at 2-2 significantly increases the Spurs’ odds of making the NBA Finals. They’ll need all hands on deck to do that in front of their home crowd.

San Antonio Spurs (1-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)

May 24th, 2026 | 7 PM CT

Watch: NBC / Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: No injuries to report.

Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee), Ajay Mitchell – Out (calf), Jalen Williams – Questionable (hamstring)

What to watch for:

Bench scoring

The Thunder’s bench outscored the Spurs’ bench by 53 points in Game Three. San Antonio’s bench unit has been largely ineffective in the series so far. Keldon Johnson has struggled to score for the majority of the playoffs. Harper is dealing with an injury. Luke Kornet is constantly attacked at the rim. No one else has stepped up to provide a spark when the starters sit. For most of the season, the Spurs were seen as a deep team. Their depth is getting exposed against OKC. The Spurs’ bench doesn’t have to outscore the Thunder’s backups to win the series, but they can’t be completely played off the floor. Just a slight improvement in their play would go a long way toward tying the series.

Guarding SGA

So far, the Spurs’ strategy for guarding the Thunder’s star guard has been to get the ball out of his hands and make someone else beat them. That strategy backfired in Game Three, as Gilgeous-Alexander made the Spurs pay by swinging the ball to shooters for open threes. The Thunder shot 17-38 (45%) from three in Game Three, and most of those were lightly contested. Perhaps the adjustment for Game Four is making SGA beat the Spurs with one-on-one scoring. San Antonio can use multiple defenders to guard him one-on-one to avoid foul trouble, but they don’t need to send multiple bodies at him every time he crosses half-court. It’s a simple adjustment, but it could help them avoid the three-point barrage they saw in Game Three.

Playing fast

San Antonio has been at its best this postseason when they are getting out in transition or pushing the ball ahead after a miss. Their offense has slowed down majorly against the Thunder. They aren’t turning OKC. over, and are getting bogged down in a half-court game that better suits the Thunder. Even if they aren’t able to get steals to get easy buckets in transition, the Spurs have to speed up the game to give themselves a better chance. That means pushing the ball quickly after misses and makes, looking to attack the rim before the Thunder get set.

CLEVELAND - A few notes from the Knicks’ Game 3 win over the Cavaliers...

BALANCING ACT

All five starters in double figures. The top two scorers on the other team turning it over 11 times. Twenty-seven assists on 43 made field goals. Starters combining for 11 steals. 

The Knicks’ 10th straight win was a true team effort, and it featured strong contributions from the players Leon Rose and the front office acquired during the Jalen Brunson era. 

Brunson, obviously the biggest move, had 30 points on 19 shots. Josh Hart – traded for a first-round pick and Cam Reddish – had 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals. Karl-Anthony Towns – traded for Julius Randle, Donte Divincenzo and a first-round pick – had a game-high seven assists and 0 turnovers in 36 minutes. OG Anunoby – acquired for a package that included RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick – had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. 

But arguably the biggest contribution came from the player acquired in the most controversial trade of the Rose era. 

Mikal Bridges had 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks in Game 3. 

Bridges’ play is one of the driving forces behind the Knicks’ 10-game playoff win streak, and it's one of the biggest reasons they are one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance in 26 years. 

“He’s all about winning. Everything else doesn’t matter for him. I think that’s why he’s playing well right now,” Hart said late Saturday night. “Because he’s not focused on shots, touches, those kinds of things. He’s focused on how can I help this team win? I’m not surprised. Because that’s the player he is. I’ve seen him since he was 17. That’s the kind of person that he is.”

Bridges has been uneven in his first two regular seasons with the Knicks, but he had great moments in the postseason last year (big defensive plays against Boston and timely scoring in New York’s two comeback road wins to open the series). And he’s followed up with another stellar postseason this spring. 

After struggling on offense in the first three games against Atlanta, Bridges has been on a tear. In the nine wins prior to Game 3, Bridges was averaging 16 points on 67 percent shooting (49 percent from beyond the arc). 

In the Cleveland series, he’s played excellent team defense and has done a remarkable job defending James Harden. 

“It's a lot of reps. A lot of time,” Bridges said of his experience guarding Harden. “And I'm grateful he was in the West when I was in the West so I got to line up against him a lot of times.”

At least for the next few days, you won’t hear many Knick fans complain about the five first-round picks the club sent to Brooklyn to acquire Bridges. The veteran wing has solidified his status as a playoff riser, and he’s not concerned about the outside expectations that surround his play. 

“There’s nothing he can do about it. He didn’t call Leon and say, ‘Yo this is the trade package’, you know what I mean? He got put into this situation and he hit the ground running,” Hart said. “We wouldn’t be here without him. Last year, you can look – how many games has he won for us in terms of getting stops, down the stretch, steals, blocks, big shots, he’s won games in every single way for us and that’s why we want him, that’s why he’s here.”

RUNNING PLAY

The Knicks put pressure on a tired Cavs team by pushing the ball in transition. They also were the more physical team again in the series. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson knows the Knicks are executing a gameplan by doing so. 

“Listen, there’s no big mystery,” Atkinson said after Game 3. “Our guys have played 50 percent more minutes than them. If I’m the opposing coach, I’m like, “Man, get these guys, run these guys, wear them out, be super physical.” It’s a good strategy. But we were not sharp in transition. We weren’t sprinting back like we should tonight.”

BEEN HERE BEFORE

Many of the 2024-25 Knicks are still with the team. That continuity has proved valuable in the postseason.

“Just knowing what it takes, especially losing it, too.  Learning from that,” Bridges said. “That always sticks with you. It helps you know you got to be real grateful to be in these moments, don't take it for granted, and take every possession by possession. And don't skip a possession, don't skip a play. Go out there and give all you got. Because it's not easy to get here, and you're not going to get here all the time.”

The New York Knicks swept aside the Cleveland Cavaliers to move within one win of their first NBA Finals since 1999.

The 121-108 victory at Rocket Arena means they lead the Eastern Conference finals 3-0 and can wrap up the series at the same venue on Monday (01:00 BST, Tuesday).

No NBA team has overcome a 3-0 deficit in a play-off series in NBA history.

The Knicks are on a franchise-record run of 10 straight play-off victories, winning by an average margin of 22.5 points.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and Mikal Bridges 22 for the third seeds, who never trailed against the Cavaliers.

"We feel - and we always have felt - the sky is the limit with this team," said Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Evan Mobley scored 24 points, Donovan Mitchell 23 and James Harden 19 for the Cavaliers.

The winners will meet the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, starting on 4 June.

The Thunder lead 2-1 in the Western Conference finals before game four in San Antonio on Sunday (01:00 BST, Monday).

• NBA fixtures & results

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers were still somewhat hanging around.

They had cut their deficit to 10 with 9:15 left in the fourth quarter and were trading baskets with the Knicks. A run could have made things interesting.

But Landry Shamet drilled three straight 3-pointers for the Knicks, who extended their lead to 14 points as a result. And that was mostly that.

Shamet finished with 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range in the Knicks’ 121-108 win over the Cavaliers in Game 3 on Saturday night at Rocket Arena to take a 3-0 series lead. And when he was in the game, he primarily guarded Donovan Mitchell and did an admirable job.

“Landry was huge,” coach Mike Brown said. “And then on the other end of the floor, he’s gotta match up with a guy like Donovan Mitchell, who is a tough cover for anybody. You’re not gonna stop him but you gotta work your tail off. Landry’s trying to work.”

There was a time, not too long ago, when Shamet was out of the rotation. Jose Alvarado had replaced him. But OG Anunoby’s absence in Games 3 and 4 of the second round against the 76ers opened the door for Shamet, and he has completely capitalized on his opportunity.

He was key to the Knicks’ historic comeback in Game 1. Now one win away from the NBA Finals, it seems he’s re-established his place.

Shamet played 28 minutes Saturday. Alvarado played just four minutes, and Jordan Clarkson logged three minutes.

Even Miles McBride, normally a rotation staple, had half of Shamet’s workload with 14 minutes.

New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Cleveland; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 217.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Knicks lead series 3-0

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks look to clinch the series over the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 121-108 in the last matchup on Sunday. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 30 points, and Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 24.

The Cavaliers are 33-19 against Eastern Conference opponents. Cleveland ranks eighth in the league with 28.3 assists per game led by James Harden averaging 8.0.

The Knicks are 35-17 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York ranks third in the Eastern Conference shooting 37.3% from 3-point range.

The Cavaliers' 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.4 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Knicks give up. The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.4% the Cavaliers' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mobley is scoring 18.2 points per game and averaging 9.0 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.5 points and 4.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Brunson is averaging 26 points and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 4-6, averaging 106.7 points, 39.1 rebounds, 21.9 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.7 points per game.

Knicks: 10-0, averaging 122.2 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 53.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.7 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: None listed.

Knicks: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

CLEVELAND — Point center Karl-Anthony Towns returned Saturday night in Cleveland.

Unlike in the series opener, the Cavaliers had no answer for the Knicks’ play-making big man.

This was the Towns who shredded the 76ers and Hawks, creating opportunities for his teammates with pinpoint passing.

Cleveland had an answer for the Knicks running offense through Towns for most of Game 1, forcing coach Mike Brown’s team to adjust.

They went back to Towns the distributor in Game 3, and it worked.

The multi-talented center had 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals, keying the Knicks’ 121-108 victory in Game 3.

The win moved them to within one of the franchise’s first berth in the NBA Finals since 1999.

“KAT, he was our hub offensively: seven assists, zero turnovers,” Brown said. “He was really good for us offensively and defensively with three steals.”

Towns has been a big part of this franchise-best 10-game playoff win streak.

With the Knicks trailing the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs 2-1, Brown tweaked the offense to go through Towns and take advantage of his passing ability.

The Cavaliers solved it in Game 1, and the Knicks responded by leaning on Jalen Brunson.

But they have been able to adjust on the fly, and with the Cavaliers paying extra attention to Brunson, they went back to Towns as a facilitator.

“We do a great job of adjusting as the game goes along. I have to always be able to adapt to what the game needs from me to win the game,” said Towns, a team-high, plus-23 in 36 minutes.

“In the first half, it needed me to be a scorer, very aggressive, get to the basket, shoot the ball well and get points. Second half, they adjusted and we adjusted and I had to adjust. The adjustment was more being the hub, making the right passes, getting my teammates involved. … I continue to just feel out the game. The game will tell me what to do.”