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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden on December 03, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in four games and, since then, have just been idly watching. Their eyes might well get wide open if they saw the Game 5 showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.
The Cavaliers achieved something in Game 5 that they hadn’t even done once during the whole postseason: they won the game away from their home court.
Cleveland ended the regular game on a 9-0 run to take the overtime, and then they managed to score more than Detroit in the overtime to get a 117-113 victory and a 3-2 lead in the series. It was a fight from beginning to end and that is the kind
The Knicks took out the Hawks in four games in the first round and then finished off the Sixers in four. Seven straight wins. It has been one of the most flawless playoff performances you will see from a New York team.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, if they finish off this series, will be the team that has been playing the best basketball, coming as Knicks opponents, and it will cast some potential major issues for the team.
Why the Mitchell and Harden Combination Is a Real Problem
How James Harden is issue for Knicks
GettyHow James Harden is issue for Knicks
James Harden was brought to Cleveland at the February trade deadline for exactly this reason. Pair him with Donovan Mitchell and you have two players who can carry a team in big moments.
In Game 5 against the Pistons, Harden dropped 30 points, pulled down 8 rebounds and dished 6 assists. Mitchell added 21. That is 51 points between two guards on a road court in overtime.
But the Pistons series is just the continuation of something that started in the first round against Toronto. Mitchell scored 32 in Game 1 and 30 in Game 2, with Harden adding 28 in the latter to put Cleveland up 2-0. When the series flipped and the Cavs fell behind, they responded.
When Detroit went up 2-0 in this round, most people wrote the Cavaliers off again. Then Mitchell and Harden combined for 54 points in a Game 3 blowout. In Game 4, Mitchell exploded for 43 and Harden added 24 with 11 assists. That kind of back-and-forth scoring punch, game after game, is exactly what the Knicks defense will have to prepare for.
How a Knicks-Cavaliers Conference Finals Matchup Could Play Out
Jalen Brunson talking to Karl-Anthony Towns during New York Knicks game against Atlanta Hawks
GettyThe Knicks’ Path to the Finals May Have Just Gotten Much More Complicated
The Knicks lead the regular-season series against Cleveland with two wins out of three games. However, the thing is: both of New York’s wins occurred in October and December, before Harden even became part of the team. The only game with the new roster was in late February, and Cleveland won it convincingly, 15 points at home.
The Knicks have never actually seen this version of the Cavaliers. That matters. If Cleveland advances, New York would have home-court advantage as the three seed against the four, which helps.
But the Cavaliers have shown they can handle adversity. A seven-game first round. Coming back from 0-2 in the semis. Winning their first road game of the playoffs at the most important moment.
If they close out Detroit, the Knicks will be facing a team that has been tested in every possible way and keeps finding a way through