Jalen Brunson (left) has been a key figure for the New York Knicks this season [Getty Images]
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).
There was a bit of a dirty play that went down as the second period came to a close in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens.
As the horn sounded, Montreal forward Alexandre Texier looked over at Hurricanes defenseman K'Andre Miller and intentionally speared him in the groin.
Texier only given TWO MINUTES for slashing K’Andre Miller at end of 2nd period.
Normally, per the NHL rulebook, that action should have automatically resulted in a five-minute major and a match penalty to Texier, however the Game 2 officials (Gord Dwyer and Kelly Sutherland) reviewed the play for a major and actually downgraded it to a two-minute minor for slashing instead, something Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour vehemently disagreed with.
"Clearly that's a spear," Brind'Amour said. "There's not a person that can tell you that it wasn't. Played the game long enough to know that when you look at a guy and... [gestures a spearing motion]. That's a spear."
It doesn't really get more egregious than what Texier, who you can clearly see on video turns to make sure he's gets Miller right where he wants to, did, so I have no idea how the officials simply let it go.
I guess they didn't want to influence a close game, but that's just a play you cannot let happen.
Hopefully the Department of Player Safety takes a look at it, but knowing them, it's hard to believe that they'll actually take a proper stance on anything when it actually comes to player safety and upholding the rulebook.
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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.”
Saturday’s outing was a bit of a mixed bag for Freddy Peralta.
The right-hander did well to save the Mets' bullpen by completing seven-full innings for the first time this season, but he was knocked around a bit by the Marlins.
Peralta allowed four runs on two walks and a season-high eight hits in a 4-1 loss.
Half of those runs came via the long ball, as Miami's breakout slugger Liam Hicks jumped him for a pair of solo shots to right-center in the bottom of the third and the fifth.
Peralta’s now allowed eight homers to start the season, four of which have come over his last three times out.
“I never want to give up homers, but it happens,” he said. “The second one I made a big mistake on the curveball, I shook on the pitch and should've executed better, but it happens and I just learn from it.”
The veteran righty did rebound nicely following that second blast, as he retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced to close his longest outing of the season on a high note.
He also set season-highs in pitches (108) and strikeouts (nine).
Despite the shaky showing in the book, Carlos Mendoza liked what he saw from the top of the the rotation arm.
“I thought he was better than the line score, to be honest,” the skipper said. “That second inning a couple of grounders found holes, the breaking ball for the homer, but overall he goes seven innings and he competed.”
Peralta kept the Mets within striking distance, but the offense didn't do him any favors, as they managed just one run in the ninth on three hits and three walks against Max Meyer and Miami’s bullpen.
As has been the case for the majority of the season to this point, the continued struggles putting runs on the board left the Mets’ starter with a razor thin margin for error.
They've been held to one run or less a league-worst 14 times this season.
"You just gotta keep going,” Carlos Mendoza said. “You can’t sit here and feel sorry for yourself, yeah we get frustrated at times, but you just gotta continue to go.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 23: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates after hitting a two run home run against the Colorado Rockies during the fourth inning at Chase Field on May 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies dug themselves into a few holes and weren’t quite able to climb out of them.
Michael Lorenzen fought traffic all night, and the offense wasn’t able to string together enough hits to put them over the top. They ended up losing, 5-4.
Traffic jams prove costly for Michael Lorenzen
Michael Lorenzen battled traffic all night, and came out on the losing end. Ketel Marte kicked things off with a single, and Corbin Carroll doubled right behind him. Luckily, Lorenzen recorded three outs behind them to hold the Dbacks scoreless in the first. He then got a 1-2-3 second of Gabriel Moreno, Jose Fernandez, and Tim Tawa. But the big damage came in the next two innings.
In the third, Ryan Waldschmidt led off with a single, and he would eventually come around to score behind more traffic. Marte walked, but then Carroll struck out. Geraldo Perdomo singled, which scored Waldschmidt, and old friend Nolan Arenado doubled to score Perdomo and put the Snakes up 3-0.
Jose Fernandez flew out to right to start things off, but then Tawa singled. Two batters later, Marte launched one over the right field wall to put the Snakes up 5-2.
“It was just a fastball,” Lorenzen said after the game. “He’s usually pretty patient. 0-0, trying to go away and [I] missed in the middle.”
Lorenzen had a quick fifth, but still gave up five runs on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts in his outing.
“I thought Mike threw the ball fine. I thought he gave us a chance to win,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “[He had] good breaking stuff. I think on the homer to Marte — which was the game-winner, basically — he was trying to go away, missed his spot, and Marte is a really good hitter.”
Lorenzen didn’t have the same sentiments about his performance.
“[I’m] not too happy about it,” Lorenzen said. “I feel like I did everything right to put myself in a situation to have a good start. I did everything well, other than the thing that matters most, and that’s run prevention.”
Offense showing sporadic signs of life, but not enough
The Rockies scored four runs, but they struggled to string opportunities together.
The first two runs came in the fourth inning, as the Rockies gave Zac Gallen some trouble on the basepaths. Hunter Goodman singled to lead things off, followed by TJ Rumfield. Tyler Freeman then walked to load the bases, and Troy Johnston singled to drive in Goodman.
Sterlin Thompson walked, but then Chad Stevens struck out swinging and Kyle Karros flied out to Perdomo to end the inning.
Their next run came in the sixth, when Johnston led off with a single, stole second, was bumped to third by a Tovar groundout, and then was driven home by a Thompson groundout.
But then Stevens flied out to center to end the inning.
A Home Run!
The Colorado Rockies had not hit a home run in seven games entering tonight. That all changed in the eighth inning, as TJ Rumfield launched one over the left field wall and put the Rockies within a run:
“TJ threw up four solid at-bats tonight,” Schaeffer said. “With a night where the ball definitely wasn’t flying, to get it the other way — that’s just some real strength. And TJ’s had a solid approach since the beginning of the year. [It was] a big night for him.”
Up Next
The Rockies will wrap up the four-game series in the desert tomorrow afternoon. José Quintana will duel Dbacks’ right-hander Ryne Nelson. First pitch is at 2:10pm MT.
May 23, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels fans gather outside Angel Stadium before the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers to protest the Angels team owner Arte Moreno. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored two runs while the Anaheim Angels scored five runs.
Before winning tonight against the Rangers, the Angels had only won two games in a row once since April 17. Even then, you’d still have to go back to the first week of this month when they won two in a row against the Chicago White Sox for the last scant winning streak for the Orange County squad.
It’s not like the Rangers are putting together many winning streaks of their own, though. It’s pretty much been win one, lose one for this team for like 900 consecutive days. The treadmill of mediocrity continues only now with the guarantee of a series loss in Anaheim this weekend.
Other trends for Texas that just won’t die? Let’s check the list:
First inning runs leading to early deficits – ✓
The Rangers trailed 2-0 after the first two Anaheim batters. They raised their unsightly first inning ERA to 7.02 on the year.
Bases loaded opportunities that die without runs scored – ✓
Texas left ‘em loaded in the third, fifth, and eighth innings with Jake Burger striking out to end the first two chances and a bases loaded, one out situation that ended without the tying run scoring.
Inability to produce with RISP – ✓
The Rangers and Angels each had eight hits but Texas scored on just one hit with RISP in eleven chances while leaving eleven on base.
Doing exactly enough to lose, and not enough to win – ✓
Despite tonight’s starter Nathan Eovaldi giving up two runs before collecting an out, he allowed just one run afterward over his seven innings of work. Despite scoring six runs last night only to lose 9-6, tonight six runs would have easily rescued Eovaldi from a loss but Texas went back to being unable to plate enough runs in a low-scoring game that the Angels put away with a couple of insurance runs the inning after Eovaldi exited.
The Rangers came into this series playing nearly inarguably the worst team in the American League with a golden opportunity to surge ahead of the .500 mark. Instead, they will leave it worse off than when they arrived and will need a win tomorrow in the finale or they’ll find themselves swept out of Anaheim.
Player of the Game: Maybe it’s Eovaldi but if you’re mad at him for the first inning runs, maybe it’s Alejandro Osuna. The Texas left fielder had three hits in his three at-bats tonight but was lifted by Skip Schumaker in one of his big brain pinch hitting maneuvers where Andrew McCutchen was called on to hit against a left-handed reliever with the tying run at second base in the top of the seventh
The Angels brought in a right-handed reliever to face McCutchen, and McCutchen struck out looking on this pitch:
Up Next: The Rangers and Angels close out this series with Texas turning to a starter they have not yet named while Anaheim will opt for LHP Reid Detmers.
The first pitch in Saturday’s finale from Angels Stadium is scheduled for 6:20 pm CDT and will be aired on Peacock.
Mar 18, 2026; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman BJ Murray (83) hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Catcher Casey Opitz was activated off the Development List and returned to Iowa.
Starter Paul Campbell threw the first six inning and allowed three runs on six hits. Two of the three runs came on a home run by rehabbing Lars Nootbaar. Campbell walked one, hit one batter and struck out one.
Gavin Hollowell retired the side in order in the top of the seventh inning and got the win after Iowa scored five runs in the bottom of the inning. Hollowell did not strike anyone out.
After Collin Snider allowed a run on a solo home run in the eighth, Christian Roa came on to pitch the ninth and got the save. Roa retired the side in order in the ninth and struck out two.
BJ Murray played outfield for the first time in his professional career, playing the entire game in left field. He also hit a two-run double in the seventh inning that tied the game 3-3. Murray was 2 for 3 with a a walk and the double. He scored once and had the two RBI.
Third baseman Owen Miller hit back-to-back doubles with Murray in the seventh. Miller was 2 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored.
DH Chas McCormick doubled in the seventh inning—back-to-back-to-back doubles with Murray and Miller. McCormick went 2 for 4 with one run batted in.
Right fielder Justin Dean was 2 for 4 with a stolen base. Dean scored one run and drove in one run.
Jake Knapp started yesterday and threw two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, before the rains came. Knapp walked one and struck out three.
Brooks Caple took the mound when play continued and got the win after allowing just one run over six innings. Caple gave up five hits but issued no walks and struck out four.
Marino Santy pitched the ninth inning, retired the side in order and got the save. Santy struck out one.
Right fielder Alex Ramirez scored both runs in game one, going 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.
DH Owen Ayers and shortstop Jefferson Rojas were both 1 fo 4 with an RBI.
Tyler Schlaffer started game two and got the loss after giving up two runs, one earned on four hits over five innings. Schlaffer struck out six, walked one and hit one batter.
Tyler Santana threw the final two innings and retired all six batters he faced. Santana struck three of them out.
Right fielder Alex Ramirez was a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk in game one.
Jostin Florentino started and allowed two runs on three hits over 2+ innings. Florentino walked three, hit two batters and struck out three.
Ben Johnson threw the next three innings, didn’t allow a run and got the win. Johnson gave up one hit. He struck out four and walked one.
Brayden Spears tossed the final three innings for the save. He surrendered one run on two hits. (Really he gave up the one run on a solo home run in the seventh inning.) Spears struck out four and walked no one. He did hit one batter.
Catcher Miguel Useche hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his second on the season. Useche went 2 for 4. He scored twice and drove home two.
Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 5 with a two-run single as part of a four-run second inning.
An RBI double for right fielder Leonel Espinoza, who was 1 for 4 with one run scored on the game.
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
The Braves lost a game 2-0 to the Nationals, which is unfortunate because the Nationals are very much the profile of team that you should beat if you hold them to 2 runs (though statistically that applies to every team, the Nationals are especially pitching-deficient. That said, the Braves still have a chance for a perfectly solid series win, with a win on Sunday, behind Martin Perez and facing the unimposing Foster Griffin. The Phillies won Saturday, bringing the division lead down to a still-large 9.5 games, while the Marlins beat the Mets, rounding out NL East play.
For the first time in 12 years, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins are headed to the the AHL Eastern Conference Final in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
And, to punch their ticket, they gave a statement performance on Saturday.
In a winner-take-all Game 5, the WBS Penguins dominated the Springfield Thunderbirds, putting up a final score of 8-1 after failing to clinch in a 2-0 loss on Thursday. Forwards Tristan Broz, Ville Koivunen, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard each had two goals for the Penguins, while netminder Sergei Murashov was impressive yet again, stopping 26 of 27 Springfield shots against to improve his Calder Cup Playoff save percentage to a whopping .943.
After failing to generate much of anything Thursday, WBS was ready from the jump. Broz kicked things off with his first goal of the contest a tick less than four minutes into the first period, driving the net and putting away a top-shelf backhand to make it 1-0. Then, less than four minutes later, Broz and Harrison Brunicke used their wheels to create a two-on-one opportunity. Broz slid a perfect pass over to Brunicke breaking through the middle then down the right side, and he also went top-shelf - hitting the water bottle in the process - to give WBS the early 2-0 lead.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 23, 2026
And the Penguins just kept piling on. During the game's first power play - awarded to WBS later in the first - Broz rifled one home from the slot to tack on, and Harvey-Pinard scored WBS's fourth goal with 21 seconds remaining in the first period to chase Springfield starting goaltender Georgii Romanov from the game.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 23, 2026
Atley Calvert registered the lone tally in the second period, and Ville Koivunen added on another power play goal almost three minutes into the third period to make it 6-0. Akil Thomas did score one for Springfield, but that was only four minutes before Harvey-Pinard scored on the empty net to make it 7-1.
They didn't just stop there, though. Koivunen pounced on a rebound around the goal crease for his second of the game and WBS's eighth of the game just past the midway point of the final frame, and the WBS Penguins were able to ride off into the sunset with the decisive 8-1 win.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 24, 2026
Here are three takeaways from this one:
1. Broz continues to prove he's a big-game player
Even if players like Bill Zonnon, Brunicke, and Murashov are commanding a lot of the attention from this year's run with WBS, Broz has quietly been, arguably, their best player.
He leads the team with three goals and nine points in the nine playoff contests they've played in, and he's been centering a third line with Mikhail Ilyin and Koivunen. He's logging tough minutes on the penalty kill and contributing to the first power play unit, and he's showing his prowess in all three zones.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 23, 2026
But, above all, he's still showing his knack for the clutch. Remember when he scored those two different overtime goals for the University of Denver in their 2024 National Championship run? Well, he certainly showed up in an important game Saturday, and his team reaped the benefits.
If not for injuries, he would have earned a more extended look at the NHL level next season. Broz is a legitimately good hockey player, and he should get that shot in 2026-27.
2. That said, let's not forget Murashov and Brunicke
Well, hey, what else can you say about two of those guys named before Broz?
Murashov, 21, has been dominant in these playoffs. Granted, he didn't need to exert himself super hard in this one, but he's made saves when it has mattered, and he's started every game for the Penguins. He has a 1.74 goals-against average to go along with that .943 save percentage.
This guy is quick, athletic, and knows how to slow down the moment, and it will be surprising if he's not at the NHL level next season.
As for Brunicke? Next to Broz, I think he's been the team's best player in this tournament, and it's not as if he's been with this team all season long. He stepped in after the Kamloops Blazers fell in their playoffs, and since then, he's logged top-pairing minutes with Alex Alexeyev, he's the quarterback of the first power play unit, and he's one of the first defensemen called up for the penalty kill and in key defensive situations.
He has grown substantially from his brief NHL stop early in the 2025-26 season, and at times, completely takes over the game. It may take some time for him to fully find his game at the NHL level, but the Penguins sure do have a talent in Brunicke.
Harrison Brunicke with the Superman celebration after putting #WBSPens up 2-0.
3. This team - like its NHL parent club - is riddled with depth
When your fourth line consists of Zonnon - who had three goals in this series in what was his professional debut - centering Aidan McDonough and Calvert, you're probably in pretty good shape. And that's not to mention the third line of Broz, Ilyin, and Koivunen again, which has probably been their strongest line through these Calder Cup Playoffs.
This is the deepest team WBS has had in years, and it's from top-to-bottom across positions. There is still a lot of work ahead if they want to reach the pinnacle of a Calder Cup Championship, but what they showed Saturday is that they're going to be a difficult problem to deal with for whoever between the Toronto Marlies and Cleveland Monsters gets them in the Eastern Conference Final.
