Category: Basketball

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to even their Eastern Conference Finals series against the New York Knicks.

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Go Cavs!

The Knicks head to Cleveland tonight after taking the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. Game One featured a historic comeback fueled by Captain Clutch, while Game Two showcased New York’s depth and Brunson in the facilitator role. Back on their home court, Cleveland—desperate to avoid falling behind by three—should respond with more energy and better shooting from its role players. The Knicks are locked, though, playing with the focus and urgency of a team methodically pursuing a bigger goal.

Tip off is at 8 PM EST on ABC. This is your game thread. This is Fear the Sword. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good citizens. And go Knicks!

Knicks are within one win of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

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.

Knicks are within one win of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

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.

Today is Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The New York Knicks play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET. Watch it on ESPN. Enjoy the game!

CLEVELAND — Making the Knicks offense more dynamic was one of the most important improvements Mike Brown was supposed to bring.

One of basketball’s best minds is raving about his job doing just that.

“The defense can’t just key on a couple of actions anymore,” LeBron James said on his “Mind the Game” podcast, which he co-hosts with Steve Nash. “I thought over the last couple of years with New York, you kind of got a good rhythm of how they were gonna play. The ball was gonna end up in a certain way every single time.”

Now, with the new wrinkle the Knicks have unleashed this postseason, they have become much more unpredictable.

The transformation the Knicks underwent, after trailing the Hawks 2-1 in the first round, worked wonders.

Karl-Anthony Towns operating as a facilitator from the elbow was freeing up Jalen Brunson to find open shots off the ball and allowing other teammates to cut and set screens around him.

“You now shift your pie chart from people just thinking heavy, heavy, heavy, JB pick-and-roll, JB iso, to now the demographic of your offense shifts,” James said. “Which means the defense can’t just be keyed in on one action now. So having KAT as the hub, at the elbow, at the top of the key, it allows JB to be off the ball, where he can set a rip screen for OG [Anunoby] to get to the rim where if [the defense] messes that up, OG gets a dunk. If they mess that up and both of them go with OG to the rim, now you have JB coming off it clean, either for a clean shot or a [dribble handoff]. Now the defense is playing catch up. That’s helped their demographic out a lot, their pie chart on what they can do offensively.

“And JB is still gonna have his iso game where he’s really good, he’s still gonna have his pick-and-roll game where he’s really good. But to sprinkle in a little bit of off-ball action, a little bit of pinch-post action, with a different hub, that helps a lot.”

That new “sprinkle” has led to a whirlwind for Towns and his role in the Knicks offense, though.

Just when it seemed it had been cemented, it was again forced to change.

The Towns-as-a-hub system was not as effective the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers’ big man duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

LeBron on KAT as hub: "You now shift your pie chart from people thinking heavy…JB iso, to now the demographic of your offense shifts…D can't just be keyed in on 1 action now"

On Josh Hart: "Knicks have always had 1 of those guys…that's just synonymous with the Knickerbockers" pic.twitter.com/QsZyde0WNj

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 23, 2026

By the fourth quarter of Game 1, when the Knicks pulled off their historic comeback, they abandoned the Towns-centric system and reverted back to running the offense through Brunson with the ball in his hands.

And that’s how Brunson and the Knicks pulverized the Cavs down the stretch.

In Game 2, when the Cavs began aggressively double-teaming Brunson, he became the facilitator, rather than Towns.

And Brunson subsequently recorded 14 assists, his most ever in a playoff game.

So far this postseason, Towns has gone from playing off Brunson, to having the ball constantly in his hands early in possessions, to once again playing off Brunson.

What’s that been like for him?

“I’ve always said I’m willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to impact winning and help this team win,” Towns said Saturday morning after shootaround. “That’s the blessing of our group. We have multiple ways and systems that we can utilize to help us get the win. I’ve been happy because we’ve continued to win. There’s nothing to be sad about.”

And now, it’s left the Knicks with multiple systems they can utilize when the situation calls for it.

“I think whatever it is, you kind of have a counter for it,” Mikal Bridges said Saturday. “And everybody be ready. Five guys who can play on ball and off ball so I think it’s just to be able to keep everybody honest and just read and react.”

The Cavaliers have no answer to slow down Brunson.

Their strength, defensively at least, is in their bigs with Mobley and Allen.

So it makes sense to let Brunson torch the Cavs in isolation.

But perhaps there will be a moment where the Towns-as-a-hub offense is again required, either in this series or a potential Finals appearance.

The NBA Draft is still a month away and the Brooklyn Nets participating in two — count ’em — two summer leagues a week after that, it’s easy to forget that NBA free agency is sandwiched in between them. Last year, the Nets had nearly $60 million in cap space, most in the league, Sean Marks & co. used most of it in seven salary dumps, acquiring two first rounders, a net of three seconds and players from Michael Porter Jr. to Terance Mann to Terance Mann to Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji .

This year is different. Brooklyn still has a huge cache of cap space, as much as $48 million, third in the league, but the priorities have shifted. It’s more about roster-building this time around as Nets have no interest in a high pick. They may have to swap firsts with Houston.

Most importantly, if they can find an immediate contributor at No. 6 in the NBA draft and make wise moves in the veteran market, there’s a pathway, narrow as it is, for the organization to become competitive sooner than fans realize. Spoiler alert: it may be exciting but it will be difficult.

Here is a look at three free agents Brooklyn fans should keep an eye on as free agency approaches. Think young players, defensive-minded, and reasonably priced. We’re not talking about trades for disgruntled stars and superstars just yet. We’ll stick for now on players who are not (yet) franchise-changers, but big additioins.

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets (RFA)

Tari Eason was selected with the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, which the Nets sent to Houston in the James Harden blockbuster deal.

In 2025, the 6’8” 25-year-old Eason compiled a solid season with Houston, averaging 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 41.6% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range. With just a little improvement in his deep shooting, he could make for an ideal 3-and-D player.

It will be difficult for the Rockets to bring Eason back if they want to stay under both apron levels. Last summer, they were hard-capped at the first apron thanks to the extensions of Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. This year, they’ll have a lot of questions after last year’s disappointments. What’s their plan?

Due to the Nets’ abundance of cap space, they should have the ability to top any offer for the 24-year-old. While he is far from a franchise-changing player, he would join the Nets’ young core and overall boost the floor of this team. He also has experience as a young piece on a playoff-caliber team, which the Nets value.

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets (RFA)

Peyton Watson is a headline name that could land with the Nets this summer.

With the Nuggets in 2025, he averaged 14.6 points, 2.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 49.1% from the field and drilling an impressive 41.1% on 3-point attempts.

He only played in 54 of Denver’s games, though, while missing the first round of the playoffs due to recurring right hamstring strains. At one point, he was sidelined for 19 consecutive games.

That is certainly something the Nets will take into account as they build out their free-agent roadmap. The year prior, he played in 68 games; in 2023-24, he played in 80.

Per NBA insider Jake Fischer of “The Stein Line,” the Nets are among the teams linked to Watson. However, the team would need to pay up, as “Executives from around the league believe that Watson could receive a larger deal than Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million contract,” wrote Fischer. Indeed, pundits have noted that the Nuggets may regret choosing Braun over Watson last summer when they had the choice. Braun averaged only 12 points a game and had difficulty creating his own shot. Cam Johnson, acquired from the Nets in what was not the worst trade in a decade has a smaller shorter deal but he may be easier to move.

More to the point, Josh Kroenke, the Nuggets owner said after the Nugs shocking first round exit that “I think everything is on the table outside of trading Nikola (Jokic.)” That even includes Jamal Murray. It will take some real roster manipulation for the Nuggets to get enough cap space to thwart not just the Nets ambitions, but the Lakers as well. The Lakers under new management may feel the need to make a big splash.

At just 23 years old, two years younger than Eason, the 6’9” Watson is another young piece that the Nets could inject into their starting lineup immediately. And they may have a somewhat hidden advantage: He and MPJ are close from their days together in Denver, as both have acknowledged. On the other hand, Watson is an Angeleno, born in Beverly Hills.

C.J. McCollum, UFA

While signing McCollum wouldn’t ignite the fanbase as much as a player like Watson would (rightfully so), it makes sense for the team to bring in someone like the 34-year-old as a veteran ball handler to help steady the offense which is in desparate need of everything.

Entering his 14th NBA season in 2026-27, McCollum remained outstanding in 2025 despite being in his mid-30s, averaging 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

He also shot 35.7% from beyond the arc and 45.6% from the field while helping the Hawks crack the playoffs after being shipped to Atlanta from Washington in the Trae Young trade.

As Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traoré enter their second season, they could certainly benefit from having McCollum by their side, especially when it comes to the veterans’ shot-making ability.

It is a similar situation to when Tyrese Maxey played alongside Kyle Lowry early in his career with the 76ers. However, if as seems likely the Nets take a lead guard in the NBA Draft, whether it’s Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings or Keaton Wagler, would there be enough minutes for McCollum?

—————————————————————-

The Nets cash reserves and other roster flexibility — only nine players are under contract for 2026-27 and they don’t have to worry about the dreaded repeater tax for the rest of the current CBA to cite two examples — can be used in a number of ways. They can, as they did four times early in the Marks era, tender an offer sheet to restricted free agents like Watson and Eason then wait 48 hours to see the Nuggets or Rockets match. In the past, the Nets added sweeteners that in the era of luxury taxes and aprons make it difficult for teams to match. For example, they can fine tune their offer so that the first year salary can be paid out all at once, add a no-trade clause, etc. Such offers can also lead to sign-and-trade talks.

How soon should we start thinking about free agency if it’s far-too-early as the headline notes? Free agency negotiations will begin on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. Expect first reports of signings — and offers sheets — at 6:01 p.m. Players can be signed officially after the July moratorium on July 6 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Enjoy.

The Lakers have made it clear they want Austin Reaves’ NBA career to continue in purple and gold.

And Reaves’ latest comments make it appear he wants the same. 

During a recent interview with TMZ Sports at LAX, Reaves was asked a variety of questions, including whether he wanted to “run it back” with the Lakers.

He quickly responded, “run it back” — suggesting he wants to return to the Lakers during an offseason in which Reaves could be an unrestricted free agent for the first time.

Reaves will become a free agent this summer once he declines his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27. 

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He alluded to already having made that decision when asked whom the Lakers should go after during the offseason. 

“I don’t know, I don’t get into all that,” Reaves said. “I’ve got to sign first … free agent.”

Reaves is expected to get a significant pay raise with his next contract — whether it’s with the Lakers or another team.

He’ll be eligible to sign a maximum five-year contract worth $241 million with the Lakers or a four-year, $178 million deal with another team.

Rob Pelinka, Lakers president of basketball operations/general manager, made it clear during a postseason media availability the franchise wants Reaves back.

“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. There’s rules and timing to all of that, but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”

The 27-year-old Reaves is coming off averaging a career-high 23.2 points (49% shooting, 36% on 3-pointers), 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals during the 2025-26 regular season. 

He averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists and four rebounds in six of the Lakers’ 10 playoff games after returning from a strained left oblique that sidelined him for the final five games of the regular season and first four playoff games. 

Reaves also wants superstar forward LeBron James, who’ll also be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, to also return to the Lakers for a ninth season and record-extending 24th NBA season. 

Which lines up with comments Reaves made after the Lakers’ 2025-26 season ended with the four-game sweep by the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. 

“Man, it would mean the world to me,” Reaves said. “I don’t know anything different. My rookie year, I had no idea what the hell was going on, and he basically took me under his wing and [gave] me every opportunity that I could ever ask for, trusted me. But further than the court, like building a real friendship — he obviously is into golf now, so we’re a lot closer. It’s been super fun, and I hope to continue to do that. He’s taught me a lot. I owe him a lot for my career. He’s given me confidence every single day.”

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Knicks are within one win of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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.

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The New York Knicks are just two wins away from wiping out the Cleveland Cavaliers and reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

With Game 3 set for this evening at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, our experts have you primed with some NBA picks for Saturday, May 23.

Knicks vs Cavaliers Expert Picks Tonight

Pick	Odds
Jon Metler: Anunoby o14.5 points	-130
Jason Logan: Towns o1.5 threes	+125
Joe Osborne: Knicks moneyline	+115

Odds courtesy of bet365.

Jon Metler's expert pick: OG Anunoby Over 14.5 points

Price: -130 at bet365

The Cleveland Cavaliers need to force the ball out of Jalen Brunson’s hands; they can’t let him work in isolation against their perimeter defenders.

When that happens, OG Anunoby finds himself catching passes against a rotating Cavaliers defense that he can attack for easy buckets. This is all about working off Brunson’s gravity and defensive coverage while attacking the space Brunson creates for him.

I also love that this is Anunoby’s third game back for the New York Knicks, and there’s an opportunity for his minutes to ramp up in Game 3.

That’s significant because he’s being priced like a player who will only play low-30s minutes. I price Anunoby at -175 to clear this number, which is why I’m hitting the button.

Jason Logan's expert pick: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 threes

Price: +125 at bet365

The Knicks offense is a well-oiled machine at this point in the playoffs. With the Cavs blitzing Jalen Brunson, he’s finding open teammates for a ton of assists

Karl-Anthony Towns is taking plenty of 3-point attempts as he continues working out of the high post in the playoffs, dragging Cleveland’s size away from the paint with his outside shooting. That resulted in three made triples in Game 2.

Projection models call for a pair of treys from KAT in another win for New York.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Knicks moneyline

Price: +115 at bet365

The Knicks are in the midst of a dominant playoff run, winning nine straight games, with eight of those victories coming by double digits. They have clearly been the sharper offensive team in this series, shooting the ball better than Cleveland while consistently controlling points in the paint.

New York has also been excellent away from home, posting a stronger playoff net rating on the road than at MSG. Meanwhile, the Cavs might be running out of gas after playing high-intensity games every other night since April 29 — a stretch of 12 games.

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The New York Knicks extended their Eastern Conference Finals lead to two games in front of a rapturous home crowd (and an equally invested star-studded celebrity row). Now, the series moves to Cleveland for two games in the Cavaliers’ home court beginning with tonight’s Game 3.

Unlike the dramatic fourth-quarter comeback in the series opener, the Knicks took control of a tight game just after halftime in Game 2, using a devastating 18–0 third-quarter run to break open a 53–53 tie and coast to their ninth consecutive postseason win, 109-93.

Josh Hart put in a playoff career-high 26 points with five 3-pointers. He was supported by Jalen Brunson, who shifted into playmaker mode, dishing out a playoff career-high 14 assists to go along with 19 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the interior with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Game 4, which will happen no matter the result of tonight’s game, is a Memorial Day matchup set for Monday night.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks start time:

Tonight’s (May 23) Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 2 is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Cavaliers vs. Knicks for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.

DIRECTV is our top pick for watching basketball live for free — its five-day free trial includes ABC (plus every other channel you’ll need for the rest of the NBA postseason). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $44.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.

Sling TV is another affordable way to watch TV live and stream NBA games; its Select plan includes ABC and starts at $19.99/month.

Knicks-Cavaliers second round playoff schedule

• Game 1: Knicks 115, Cavs 104 (OT)
• Game 2: Knicks 109, Cavs 93
• Game 3: Saturday, May 23 (8 ET, ABC)
• Game 4: Monday, May 25 (8 ET, ESPN)
• Game 5: Wednesday, May 27 (8 ET, ESPN)*
• Game 6: Friday, May 29 (8 ET, ESPN)*
• Game 7: Sunday, May 31 (8 ET, ESPN)*

* if necessary

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

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The New York Knicks are a runaway subway car in the Eastern Conference finals. The next stop is Rocket Arena for Game 3 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

New York tries to put Cleveland in a 3-0 chokehold on Saturday, and my Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions aren't standing on the tracks, taking the road team to win with an energetic performance from OG Anunoby.

Here are my latest NBA picks for Saturday, May 23.

Our best Knicks vs Cavaliers SGP for Game 3

SGP leg #1: Knicks moneyline

Homecourt may be the only edge left for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re outgunned on offense, outmatched in coaching, and running on fumes compared to a well-rested New York Knicks squad.

That difference is showing in the fourth quarters of both the previous two games. New York has been great on the road in the postseason, going 4-1 SU and ATS as a playoff visitor.

SGP leg #2: Evan Mobley Over 15.5 points

Evan Mobley should be miffed with his teammates. After exploding for 10 points in the first quarter and posting 14 points at the half, Mobley didn’t get a single shot off in the second half of Game 2. 

Cleveland’s offense is at its best when it gets the bigs involved, and Mobley must be a priority in Game 3. Projections sit as high as 18 points on Saturday.

SGP leg #3: OG Anunoby Over 14.5 points

OG Anunoby has been taking it easy in the first two games of the ECF, as he's coming off a hamstring injury in Round 2.

When the going gets tough on the road for the Knicks, OG brings the energy to enemy territory. He’s been huge away from MSG in the playoffs and averages two points more on the road than at home for the year.

Anunoby is forecasted for as many as 17.5 points in Game 3. 

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See our full Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3 preview

Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions for Game 3.

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NBA Championship odds

Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

NBA Finals MVP odds

See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.

Live NBA Playoff bracket

Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round. 

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