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.
Landry Shamet celebrates with Knicks great John Starks after their 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
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.
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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.
Karl-Anthony Towns shoots during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 23, 2026. Getty Images
“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.
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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.”
OG Anunoby attempts a shot during the Knicks' May 23 win.
CLEVELAND — Post-injury OG Anunoby hadn’t been quite the same as pre-injury OG Anunoby — until Saturday night.
After suffering a mild right hamstring strain in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and missing the final two games of that series, Anunoby returned for the Eastern Conference finals.
Anunoby performed well in the first two games against Cleveland.
But in Game 3, he looked like himself, burying the Cavaliers with a fantastic performance of 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists, as the Knicks took a commanding 3-0 series lead with a 121-108 shellacking of the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.
“Each day I started feeling better and better. We have a great medical staff,” Anunoby said. “Getting stronger each day. Great team, great coaches. It’s been very collaborative.”
In the first two games of the series, there was some rust, which should have been expected since the veteran went 12 days in between games.
Most importantly, he appears to be healthy and is impacting winning.
He came up big in overtime of the Knicks’ come-from-behind victory in Game 1, scoring six points, and was efficient in the second game, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and making two 3-pointers.
OG Anunoby shoots a jumper during the Knicks’ 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland. Charles Wenzelberg
Saturday night, he was explosive, dangerous from beyond the arc and a factor in the Knicks’ strong transition game.
He was 3-of-4 on 3-point attempts.
The Knicks clearly caught a break with Anunoby’s injury.
Two years ago, he suffered a hamstring injury that led to the Knicks blowing a 2-0 series lead to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
This time, it wasn’t nearly as severe.
OG Anunoby drives to the basket during the Knicks’ Game 3 win over the Cavaliers. Charles Wenzelberg
“OG was fantastic,” Brown said. “He had some timely buckets for us, play after play after play.”
Before the injury, Anunoby was playing at an incredibly high level.
He was averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in the playoffs.
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He was also shooting a sensational 53.8 percent on 4.9 attempts from 3-point range, and the Knicks were outscoring the opposition by 20 points per 100 possessions with him on the court.
There were a number of positives in the Knicks’ 10th straight playoff victory, led by them moving to within one win of their first NBA Finals berth in 27 years.
Anunoby’s performance was near the top of the list — they need this version of him to win it all.
“OG’s playing great. Most importantly, he’s locked in,” Jalen Brunson said. “He’s doing the things we know he’s capable of. He’s looking great.”
For most of the regular season, Mikal Bridges was maligned for his sheepish style of play, and production unbefitting of a player that took five first-round picks to acquire. That carried over into first few games of the Knicks' first-round series with the Hawks, but what a difference a month makes.
Bridges has become one of the Knicks' most reliable players on both ends of the floor and came up big again in New York's 121-108 win over the Cavaliers to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks guard filled up the statsheet, scoring 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting, coming down with six rebounds, while dishing two assists, coming away with three steals and two blocks in 39 minutes.
"Mikal got to his spots all night," head coach Mike Brown told reporters after the win. "He hit big shot after big shot and on top of that, he had six rebounds and then trying to defend James [Harden], a Hall of Famer, without fouling him. Just a really good ballgame from Mikal."
Down 0-2 at home, the Cavaliers were playing aggressive and didn't let the Knicks run away with this one. Although the Knicks ultimately had a wire-to-wire victory, Cleveland stuck around and had multiple second-half runs where they cut the deficit to single digits.
But whenever they'd make their run, Bridges seemingly was in the midst of the Knicks' punch-back. Whether it was his defense leading to transition buckets or as Brown said, making a key bucket, especially on leak outs for easy layups. New York dominated on the fastbreak, 17-4, thanks to those leakouts and defense-to-offense buckets.
Brown was asked about Bridges' ability to be in the right place for a leakout while not sacrificing his defense, and the first-year Knicks coach chalked it up to the guard's "feel."
"His feel is unbelievable. He’s got a good feel," Brown explained. "He’s doing that on his own, picking and choosing when to go, just like he’s picking and choosing when to look for his shot when we call his number. I told him and OG [Anunoby], because I don’t call a ton of play-calls, you guys got to find ways to impose your will on the game. And they are doing a great job imposing their will on the game."
"I just try to play hard every possession," Bridges said of his process. "See one of my guys in transition, have an advantage, split the floor, try to get a layup or cause confusion and try to get someone else an open shot. Just trying to play hard the whole game."
That effort has paid off for Bridges.
Just looking at the three games in this series, Bridges has shot tremendously. After shooting 64 percent in Game 1, he's shot 75 and 73 percent, respectively, in Games 2 and 3. Only six of his 38 shot attempts have come from three, so Bridges has moved well without the ball and getting to his spots. He's also been the second-highest scorer for the Knicks in all three games, giving New York that consistent second option alongside Jalen Brunson.
Oh, and he's also been a combined plus-51 in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is more than even Anunoby (+48).
Bridges will look to have his do-it-all game on Monday, when the Knicks look to close out the series in Game 4.
CLEVELAND — Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Mikal Bridges added 22 and the New York Knicks moved within one game of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 with a121-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.
OG Anunoby had 21 points as New York led the entire game. The Knicks were 43 of 77 from the field, including 11 of 28 on 3-pointers. They were also 24 of 27 from the foul line.
The Knicks can wrap up the Eastern Conference Finals and sweep their second straight series with a win on Monday night. New York is the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight during a postseason run. The last team to do it was the Boston Celtics, who also went on a 10-game run on their way to the 2024 title.
All but one of the Knicks’ wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 22.5 points.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and James Harden added 21 for Cleveland. The Cavaliers were 12 of 41 on 3-pointers and 12 of 19 from the foul line.
New York led 91-82 at the end of the third quarter but put it out reach in the fourth when Landry Shamet made three 3-pointers in a 99-second span to make it 105-94.
The Knicks made their first four shots en route to a 9-1 lead less than two minutes into the game. New York was 12 of 17 from the field in the quarter and was up 37-27 after 12 minutes.
Cleveland rallied and tied it at 50-all on a jumper by Harden before the Knicks countered with a 10-1 run. They went into halftime with a 60-54 advantage.
Brunson had six of his 12 points during an 8-1 run midway through the third quarter as the Knicks extended their lead to 83-70 with 3:41 remaining.
James Harden was yet again severely outplayed by Brunson.
He had six more turnovers, and not only went scoreless in the fourth quarter, but didn’t take a single shot.
On a night the Cavaliers needed The Beard’s best, he didn’t show up for most of the second half.
Mikal Bridges steals the ball from James Harden during the Knicks’ 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Unsung hero
It feels like months ago that coach Mike Brown was considering benching Mikal Bridges.
The two-way wing is in the midst of his best stretch as a Knick.
He continued to shine Saturday night, scoring 22 points on 11-for-15 shooting.
Bridges is shooting an absurd 68.2 percent from the field over the past 10 games.
Key stat
29.3: The Cavaliers’ 3-point shooting percentage in this series.
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Quote
“I’m from New York, this doesn’t shock me. They do it in every arena. That’s how Knicks fans are. I was one back in the day,”
— Donovan Mitchell on Knicks fans invading Rocket Arena
It takes everyone to get the job done in the NBA Playoffs.
We’ve been seeing that firsthand with the 2026 Knicks, and it was again the case Saturday night as they took complete control of the Eastern Conference Finals with a wire-to-wire Game 3 win in Cleveland.
Landry Shamet was huge for New York, playing 28 minutes off the bench, including big ones down the stretch.
Those closing minutes were where Shamet shined the most, as he knocked down three of his four threes on the night to put any hope of a late Cavs comeback to rest.
He also stepped up big time on the other end of the floor, guarding All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
“It’s just that next play mentality,” Shamet said. “The ball goes in, I’m already thinking about guarding an All-Star on the other end and my assignment or what we’re doing there defensively -- that’s the beauty of our team.
“We have five guys on the court who are constantly bought into that mentality -- the ball found me a few times and it went in, and we just moved on and made plays defensively and were able to close the game out.”
Shamet finished with all but nine of the team’s 22 bench points on the night.
He did so on 4 of 5 shooting from three, bringing him to an efficient 7-for-8 during the Eastern Conference Finals, with six of those makes coming during the fourth quarter or overtime.
“He’s been big-time,” Jalen Brunson said. “A true professional.”
“Just a heckuva player and we're going to need him down the stretch here, so we want to make sure that he has all of the opportunities that he can,” Josh Hart added.
The New York Knicks managed to get the best of the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 121-108 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals at Rocket Arena on Saturday, May 23.
The Cavaliers have dropped the first three games in the series and find themselves in a must-win situation.
No NBA team has come back to win a series after falling in a 3-0 deficit. Only three teams have even rallied to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games in a series.
Nobody has come back against the Knicks, who have taken the commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
The Knicks produced an early 10-point lead, finishing the first quarter against the Cavaliers at 37-27.
Karl-Anthony Towns contributed to the fast start with 11 points in 11 minutes of play in the opening quarter. He finished the game with 13 points.
The Cavs outscored the Knicks in the second quarter, 27-23, to make it a six-point game with both teams going back to the locker room.
Cleveland had managed to keep the game close throughout the opening minutes of the third before the Knicks went on another run to build up a 13-point lead late in the third.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 30 points and six assists in 41 minutes played. Mikal Bridges added 22 points by shooting 11-for-15 from the field.
Knicks remain hot
The Knicks have won 10 straight games, having not lost since suffering back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Hawks in April.
It is the sixth time in the Knicks’ history that they’ve produced five or more double-digit victories in a postseason.
“Our mindset hasn’t changed,” Brunson said. “We are trying to get better every day. … We are always looking for ways to get better.”
Before Saturday’s game, the Knicks’ postseason stretch had come at the right time, having the best point differential (212 points) during any nine-game span in NBA history, including both the regular season and playoffs.
Cavaliers will have to regroup
The Cavaliers struggled to match the Knicks in Game 3 and never held a lead in the game.
The Cavs struggled from the 3-point line, shooting just 12 of 41 (29%) from long range on Saturday.
When do Knicks and Cavaliers play next?
The Cavaliers will host the Knicks for Game 4 of the series on Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. The Knicks need one more victory to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 23: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Trying to match the star power of Madison Square Garden, Rocket Arena sat Taylor Swift and her dunce, Travis Kelce, courtside for Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals. Nice try, we say. In the stands and on the court, the Cavaliers are outmatched in this series. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Playoffs, which is exactly the dire situation Cleveland finds itself in. With 30 points from Jalen Brunson, more brilliance from Mikal Bridges, and more automatic shooting from Landry Shamet, New York never trailed in their tenth straight win. Final score: 121-108.
Smile, folks. Your New York Knicks are one win away from their first Finals appearance of the century.
Two minutes in, this tilt smelled like a romp. Mirroring Game Two, Bridges got a steal and New York took a 5-0 lead in the first minute. Like a well-oiled machine, the visitors grabbed defensive boards and made their shots while the home team missed theirs. Falling behind by eight, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson signaled a timeout.
The skipper reminded his crew to attack the paint, and five of their next eight buckets came at the cup. At the other end, the Knicks spread the wealth, with four starters scoring and assists on half their makes. The Ohio Players were determined not to give away an easy win, though. Knicks coach Mike Brown tried to deploy point-KAT, but yet again Cleveland applied better coverage than Atlanta or Philadelphia.
“No sweat,” said Karl. Although he had difficulty making the pass, he easily rose up over defenders for shots and reached double-digit points before double-digit minutes.
The Cavs had made about half their shots, which would have been a nice performance if New York hadn’t made three-quarters of theirs. Keeping with the theme, Shamet joined the game and canned a triple to make the lead ten with 3:30 left. Everything was falling for our heroes, who took a 37-27 lead into Q2.
To begin the second frame, Jose Alvarado assumed lead guard duties, playing alongside Miles McBride, Shamet, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Cleveland chipped a few points off its deficit before Jalen returned. Mitchell Robinson was in, too, and when Jaylon Tyson attacked him for a jam, Cleveland was on a 21-11 run that tied the game.
Despite the run, nobody with a rooting interest in the Knicks had anything to worry about. On the court, Brunson returned to Harden-hunting to score off the glass. Down the stretch, Donovan Mitchell returned and took turns with James Harden missing shots, and the Knicks regained a nine-point lead before securing a 60-54 halftime score.
For once, the Cavs were winning the paint (28-18) and the glass (18-16). They just sabotaged themselves everywhere else. They made just 21% from deep compared to New York’s 38%, and they produced no fast-break points despite forcing nine Knicks turnovers. (At one point, New York had outscored them 17-0 on fast-break points.) Harden led all scorers with 14 points, while OG Anunoby had 13. OG would finish the night with 21 points on 10 shots, plus seven boards and four dimes. Just another day at the office for one of the NBA’s best defenders.
After intermission, Cleveland had some success with Mitchell shooting at the perimeter and Evan Mobley inside, but the Knicks were dishing and swishing. Towns and Anunoby took turns feeding Bridges for layups. Hats off to Mikal: in the seven games since his rocky first-round series, he has shot 57-of-85 from the field and hit 44% from deep. Check out these numbers:
New York’s defense was tight in the third quarter, too, with Hart leading the way with three steals in about a minute. His shooting was less impressive than in Game Two, but he was a demon in his 34 minutes.
The Cavs had opportunities; they simply lacked the personnel to get back into the black. After two Mobley free throws cut the gap to three, New York outscored its foes by ten to reach its largest lead of the night. Harden did some vintage Beard things, scoring on a crafty drive or two, and Mobley and Sam Merrill made buckets, but six turnovers (Mobley had three, Harden two, and Mitchell one) erased their gains. Plus, Brunson was cooking. Even with defenders draped over his shoulders, Cap put up 12 points in the period and locked down a 91-82 lead by the break.
The home team needed to come out strong in the fourth. Instead, it missed three shots while the guests scored five unanswered points and went ahead by 14. Still, Cleveland had chances, but left a pile of points at the charity stripe. Mitchell converted just 2-of-6 from the line, adding to the misery of his -22 evening.
Shamet dropped three straight three-pointers, which were brutal counterpunches to every Cavalier swing. Amazingly, he has shot 7-of-8 from downtown in this series. Then, when Brunson went high off the glass at the six-minute mark, the lead touched 16 points. Anunoby hit from deep, and the lead hit 17.
Mitchell and Mobley cut it to a dozen, and the latter had a triple rattle out that would have made this game interesting again with 2:30 remaining. Instead, from their slumped shoulders and shuffling steps, you could see that their spirits were broken. Bridges hit a jumper, Brunson sailed in for a layup, and the Cavs were toast.
Max Strus, who spent much of the game complaining to the refs, was fouled by Hart while making a triple with a minute left. Tony Brothers upgraded it to a flagrant one, giving Strus a freebie and Cleveland possession. But Mobley missed on a close-range turnaround, New York got it back, and the funeral bells were clanging loudly.
As the Cleveland faithful trudged toward the exits, chants of “Let’s Go Knicks” reverberated through Rocket Arena. When Brunson put a bow on things at the line, he was serenaded with “MVP! MVP! MVP!” On the road. In an ECF game. It still seems impossible, but quoth PolyphonicSpreewell: “Well well well. It really is happening.”
Up Next
Get your broom ready again. The Knicks will play Game Four here on Monday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
Weirdest home court advantage. Cavs have raised seats for themselves but not visiting team. Knicks should just throw some cushions on the floor at MSG for visiting team. pic.twitter.com/0gSdHzjnpr
Travis Kelce chugged a beer at the Cavaliers' game.
Travis Kelce tried to hype up the losing Cavaliers with a beer chug — in the end the Knicks wore down the Cavaliers and took the spirit of the energetic Kelce.
Shortly before the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night in Cleveland, the camera at Rocket Arena panned to Kelce downing a beer court side as the fans cheered him on.
Once finished with the beverage, Kelce, an Ohio native, pulled his coat to the side and revealed a Cavaliers shirt and flashed his corresponding team hat to the camera.
The camera then panned to his fiancee, pop superstar Taylor Swift, facepalming and shaking her head while her song “…Ready for it” played in the background.
“I don’t know if his girlfriend is going to like seeing him chugging beers like that,” commentator Richard Jefferson said during the ESPN on ABC broadcast.
Travis Kelce reacts during the Cavaliers’ loss to the Knicks on May 23. Getty Images
Kelce’s stunt did not prove to help Cleveland in any way, who immediately gave up five points to start the fourth quarter.
The Knicks wound up rolling past the Cavaliers to go up 3-0 in the series. Game 4 is Monday night.
Photos later emerged of Kelce with his eyes closed and hat pulled down looking deflated as Swift looked at him sadly.
The Chiefs tight end was spotted sitting courtside with Swift earlier in Saturday’s game, with the broadcast panning to them midway through the first quarter.
The two are expected to get married in New York City in the coming weeks, with Page Six previously reporting the wedding will take place on July 3.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce watch during the first half of the Knicks’ 121-108 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland. AP Photo/Tim Phillis
Despite buzz surrounding Kelce’s possible retirement from the NFL before this season, the 36-year-old confirmed in March that he will be suiting up for 2026, and later said how Swift served as a motivating factor for his return.
Travis Kelce reacts during the second half of the Knicks’ Game 3 win over the Cavaliers. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
“We share the same love for what we do. Fortunately, we’ve had this desire since we were kids in our selective professions,” Kelce said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” in March.
“It’s amazing to see her keep going to the table, keep finding new things to write about, keep finding new melodies and things like that, and on top of that, still seeing her have that love and joy in what she does, and yeah, of course, that’s motivating.
“That’s motivating for anyone to see, let alone my fiancée, and knowing that I’m going through something where I’m trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me, something like that definitely motivates me to say, ‘You know what, I’m not done either,’” Kelce said.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 09: Jaren Jackson Jr. #20 of the Utah Jazz reacts against the Miami Heat during the second quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on February 09, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New rumors about the upcoming lottery changes have leaked and were reported by Kevin O’Connor. In that reporting, some questions have been answered about changes to different pick streaks, namely: can teams pick 1st in the draft multiple times, and how often can teams pick in the top-5? Here’s what O’Connor reported:
“… there is also a rule stating that no team can land first in two consecutive drafts, or in the top five in three consecutive drafts.”
That obviously resolves a problem with a team like the San Antonio Spurs having three top-4 picks in three years. But in vintage Adam Silver fashion, by solving that problem, he’s created another unforeseen one. From O’Connor, Silver and the NBA have “decided to start the clock on these two-year and three-year streaks by looking back to the 2025 and 2026 drafts, according to league sources.” O’Connor goes on to explain:
In practice, this would mean if Washington wins the lottery again in 2027, it moves to second.
Makes sense, right? Yes ….
But what about teams that own the rights to picks from other teams? According to O’Connor:
The streak attaches to the original team, according to league sources. In other words, if Team A has Team B’s pick in the 2027 draft as a result of a trade and that Team B pick lands first, then Team B’s own pick in 2028 would not be eligible to land first, whether it’s retained by Team B or owned by a different team. But Team A, by virtue of selecting first using Team B’s pick in 2027, would still be eligible to pick first in 2028 with its own pick or any other team’s pick.
“In the event a team’s pick is drawn in the lottery in a position where it is not permitted to be, then such team’s pick would be moved down to the first permissible position,” the league wrote in its proposal sent to teams. Continuing the above example, this would mean that if Team B popped up first in the 2028 draft, that pick would automatically be moved to the second pick instead.
Additionally, the NBA has decided to start the clock on these two-year and three-year streaks by looking back to the 2025 and 2026 drafts, according to league sources. In practice, this would mean if Washington wins the lottery again in 2027, it moves to second.
O’Connor goes on to say the retroactive rules are not to give an advantage to a team like the Wizards, who just won the 1st pick, otherwise they’d be at an advantage other teams won’t have. (I guess they are just going to ignore the Spurs thing…).
But this rule has crazy ramifications for the Utah Jazz-Memphis Grizzlies trade that landed Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah. This new rule, because of the retroactive stipulation, means the pick that Utah traded to the Grizzlies can’t land in the top-5 of the draft. O’Connor explains it well, so I’m putting his explanation here:
The top-five pick rule will date back to 2025. The Utah Jazz picked fifth in 2025 and second in 2026. Under the new rule, they can’t land in the top five in 2027.
But the Jazz traded that pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in February for Jaren Jackson Jr., which means Memphis won’t be able to receive it since streaks will be triggered by the original team, not the team holding the pick. Two issues here.
First, the framework. The NBA explains this rule under a section titled “Pick Restrictions For Repeat Lottery Winners.” Is landing the fifth pick really a winner? One year ago, the Jazz were distraught when their pick landed fifth, because the true franchise-changers that teams want to win are commonly landed with the first or second pick. In the future, if a team ends up fifth one year, then fourth the next, should they really be punished for landing first in the third year? Or even fifth again? I would argue no, that the top-five rule reaches too far.
I am understanding of wanting to prevent a team from picking first in consecutive years. But anything beyond that feels like a massive overreach that could cause more problems than intended when the goal is supposed to be to eliminate tanking.
Second, there’s the reality that the Jazz did trade that pick. Now the Grizzlies have it — through the rights of a pick-swap structure. But if this rule passes, Memphis wouldn’t be able to receive an unprotected pick. Grizzlies fans would obviously be crushed by the news. This pick was the most valuable of the assets Memphis got back for one of its stars, and it happened under a set of rules that didn’t include a three-year streak cap. That Jazz-to-Grizzlies pick is being retroactively devalued because of a league’s arbitrary decision to start the clock in 2025, but it also gives us an example of what could happen in future years to any team.
I agree with O’Connor that this is not fair for the Memphis Grizzlies, and doesn’t really do anything for Utah other than knowing that there’s no way they get burned by the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. It does help with optics if the Jazz look incredible next year. In reality, it’s hard to see the Jazz being anything other than a top team in the Western Conference and in the playoffs. The Grizzlies weren’t likely to get a lottery pick, anyway. It’s still frustrating if you’re a Grizzlies fan, I’m sure.
But it’s not all smooth sailing for Utah. Let’s say the Jazz want to make another trade this season or later. Having their last two picks in the top 5 means there may be teams reticent to trade with the Jazz.
Then again…
This also means Utah’s future-owned picks from the Cavs and Wolves remain safe from any issues, so that’s another positive for the Jazz.
All in all, this seems like a rule that could have bad outcomes for the Grizzlies, but those outcomes seem unlikely. For Utah, they get to draft either AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, or Cam Boozer come draft night and there’s not much reason to worry about much else.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 23: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks during Game Three of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals on May 23, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks are a well-coached team that has a firm grip on what they want to do on both sides of the ball. Their spacing and offensive principles are on point. Even when shots aren’t going in, they continue to play how you’d expect a conference finalist to.
Meanwhile, the Cavs looked like the team they are — one that was scrounged together at the trade deadline in hopes of making the most out of what looked like it could be a lost year. They don’t know what their strengths are, or if they do, they don’t play to them.
The Cavs deployed mostly the same game plan that worked in Game 1, but failed them in Game 2. They cheated too far off Josh Hart, offered switches to Brunson too easily, and weren’t able to target him on the other end.
The shooting would’ve offset a lot of these issues, but make no mistake, New York was the better team once again.
“They were the most physical team,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said afterward. “They were the much better team.”
This all added up to a humiliating 121-108 loss in Game 3 in a game they never led. The Cavs are now down 3-0, on the brink of elimination.
The Knicks let us know early what kind of game it would be. They jumped out to a 9-1 lead. They were the aggressor once again, as has been the case since midway through the fourth quarter of Game 1. This allowed them to have a 10-point lead after Game 1.
The Cavs fought back to tie the game at 50 with five minutes left in the half, but a strong close to the quarter allowed the Knicks to create more separation, as they took a six-point advantage into the third.
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New York flexed its muscle in the third. They put their foot on the gas by consistently turning defense into offense. They pushed the lead to 13 before taking a seven-point lead into the fourth.
The Knicks controlled the fourth quarter. They extended the lead to 17 with excellent shot-making. Each one gave the thousands of Knicks fans who made the trip to Ohio reason to let their voices be heard as “Let’s go Knicks” chants rang out through Rocket Arena.
Donovan Mitchell, who Atkinson said wasn’t hurt but just dealing with regular bumps and bruises before the game, had 23 points on 9-21 shooting with four assists.
Evan Mobley led the Cavs with 24 points and six rebounds. Jarrett Allen had 17 points and seven rebounds.
James Harden recorded 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers in the defeat.
The Knicks were once again led by Jalen Brunson with 30 points. Mikal Bridges had 22 points. OG Anunoby had 21 points.
“They’re playing great playoff basketball,” Atkinson said. “Nine playoff wins in a row is really hard to do.”
No team has ever rallied back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history. If the Cavs are going to be the first, they need to start making the outside looks they’re given, and they need to readjust to what the Knicks have been doing offensively since the start of Game 2.
“Get one, and then we’ll go from there,” Atkinson said.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 23: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 23, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are officially on the ropes. They were properly defeated in Game 3 by the New York Knicks and face elimination on Monday.
Let’s go over today’s losers.
LOSER – The Process
Kenny Atkinson has preached process all season. The Cavs have a plan, and they stick to it. It takes extreme circumstances to get them to stray away from that process. And sometimes, even the extreme isn’t enough.
Josh Hart lit Cleveland up from downtown in Game 2. They continued to bet against him in Game 3. And while he didn’t bury them all over again, he did convert on a totally uncontested three in the fourth quarter that feels like a backbreaker when you just hand it to him.
Why not just play defense? Because of the process.
The numbers might tell you that leaving Hart open will work in your favor over the long run. The problem is, the playoffs are all about short sample sizes. Why would you test fate to this degree? There’s a human element and a degree of ‘rising to the moment’ that analytics can not account for. If given the choice between guarding Hart or betting on a spreadsheet, I think you should guard Hart.
That same process has led to the Cavs launching three-pointers to no avail. There’s value in an open, or even semi-open, three-point attempt. But only if those shots are falling. You don’t get brownie points for taking good shots. You get a 0-3 deficit for not adjusting.
I’m not saying the Cavs should stop taking open threes. That would be silly. But they have no alternative. They’ve shot below 30% from deep in the series and have not found anything else to fall back on. They can’t get into the paint, they haven’t made any rotational adjustments, and they don’t get enough stops to change things.
It’s all out of whack.
Maybe this is the result of playing against a better team. I think we at least have to acknowledge the possibility that New York is flat-out better at this than the Cavs.
Still, you never want to go down without swinging. You have to throw the kitchen sink. To run into the same wall multiple seasons in a row while pointing to ‘shot quality’ is maddening.
Sure, it’s a make-or-miss league, but the best teams find a way to overcome the odds and win regardless. The Cavs aren’t willing enough to stray away from their process to even find out if that’s possible for them.
Why not play Jaylon Tyson in this game? I understand this team has leaned more on Dennis Schroder throughout the playoffs — but Tyson looked better in his seven minutes tonight than Schroder did. Why not make the adjustment?
The same can be said for Cleveland’s starting lineup, which can jump off the charts analytically, but comes with the glaring weakness of Dean Wade being a non-threat to dribble or shoot. They pivoted to Max Strus in the starting lineup for Game 7 against the Pistons, and they’ve consistently closed games with him over Wade. Maybe put your best players on the floor to start the game?
So many things can be explained away by trusting the process. Trusting a data point that suggests a different outcome was more likely. But… like Josh Hart said after Game 2, analytics can only take you so far.
Josh Hart hates analytics:
"They're lamp posts to a drunk person. You can lean on them, but it won't get you home"
The Cavs, who should feel like their backs are to the wall, came out flat from an energy perspective. The Knicks looked like the hungrier, more desperate team, and beat the Cavs in transition multiple times (even off made baskets).
It’s one thing to turn it over and have an opponent run wild. It’s a whole other issue if you’re failing to get back after scoring a bucket. That stuff is inexcusable on a Tuesday night in January, let alone the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York outscored Cleveland 17-4 in transition. The margins are, of course, the margins. But losing one of those hustle categories that badly can swing a game. I’m not sure if it would have even mattered, considering how poorly the Cavs shot, but they didn’t do themselves any favors here.
This is a broader trend that stretches back to the start of the season. Honestly, it goes back to their series against the Indiana Pacers a year ago. They tried to address it by focusing on conditioning this season. It didn’t make a difference during the regular season, and it only got worse after trading for James Harden.
The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup on Saturday night.
New York has won 10 playoff games in a row, holding a commanding 3-0 series advantage.
Here are some takeaways...
- Taking the series on the road for the first time the Knicks got off to about as good a start they could've hoped for, opening up a quick 9-1 advantage and forcing the Cavs to call a timeout less than two minutes in. The home team was able to find their footing from there, but New York continued thriving, as well.
- The Knicks' depth scoring stepped up early with Jalen Brunson struggling once again. Led by Karl-Anthony Towns (11) and Mikal Bridges (six) they had seven different players record a bucket as they shot a combined 72 percent from the field as a team to carry a double-digit advantage through the opening quarter.
- New York finally cooled off as the Cavs tightened things up early in the second, and they quickly used a 7-0 run to cut the deficit down to two points. With Donovan Mitchell briefly forced to the locker room, an aggressive James Harden was able to find his rhythm offensively, putting energy right back into the building.
- The Knicks weathered the second quarter storm, never letting Cleveland jump in front, and they were able to reopen a six-point advantage heading into the break. Even with the brief tough stretch New York shot 57 percent from the field as a team in the opening half, while the Cavaliers made just 3-of-19 threes.
- A sloppy Cleveland stretch midway through the third allowed the Knicks to open their largest lead of the game at the time (13), but they were once again unable to put the home team away for good, as the deficit was cut back down to nine points heading into the fourth quarter, 91-82.
- A Hart three and Bridges lay-in sandwiched between a Cavs miss quickly pushed the lead up to 14 minutes into the fourth. Cleveland continued to fight but clutch buckets from the Knicks down the stretch helped them keep the commanding advantage and put this one to rest for good.
- Landry Shamet was big closing down the stretch, hitting three of his four threes. Brunson led all scorers with 30 points, Bridges stayed hot with 22 on 11-of-15 shooting, Anunoby had 21 on 6-of-10 shooting, Towns finished with a line of 13-8-7, and Hart had 12-9-5.
- New York shot a strong 56 percent from the field as a team and 39 percent from three.
Game MVP: Mikal Bridges
Bridges continued his terrific stretch, playing outstanding ball on both ends of the floor.
