No team in NBA history has ever erased a 3-0 deficit. is it officially over for Cleveland Cavaliers? Yankee Scores analyses the Knicks’ historic defensive masterclass!
Jalen Brunson scored 30 points as The New York Knicks dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers to move one win away from making it to the NBA Finals for the first time this century.
One Win From History
The Knicks have not tasted defeat in a month.
The Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference Finals.
The home crowd was bolstered by the involvement of some popular celebrities like Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Still, none of that was enough. No NBA team in history has recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs.
A victory in Game 4, Monday will seal Knicks’ first Finals appearance since 1999.
Prior to this game, the Knicks had gone 9 straight games in the playoffs winning and having the largest margin of victory (+212). With the victory today, their playoff margin improved to +225 across ten games. The Knicks last loss came in the third game versus the Hawks on April 23rd.
LAN-SANITY CONTINUES 😤
14 PTS | 4/5 FG | 3 AST pic.twitter.com/KC6wJkRzmo
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2026
Total Starting Five Dominance
There were no heroes today, instead, the starting five got things done. Jalen Brunson was the leading scorer for his team as he put in 30 points (10/19 shooting and six assists).
Anunoby and Bridges put in over twenty points while Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 13 points along with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals.
give 2️⃣5️⃣ his flowers‼️
22 PTS | 6 REB | 3 STL | 2 AST | 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/qGI53xoADu
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2026
Cavs’ Backcourt Deficit
On the Cavaliers side, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for a total of 42 points, taking a total of 36 shots while having five turnovers each.
Since eight minutes into the fourth quarter in Game 1, it has been apparent that they won’t survive such a deficit in the playoffs.
The Knicks are a formidable bunch and know how to win in the margins.
New York was not behind at any point in time today. Plenty of Knicks fans were present at Rocket Arena cheering, Let’s go Knicks! The Knicks defense dominated in the second half and fans from Cleveland began vacating their seats after only two minutes.
Cavs have been outscored in almost every hustle stat this postseason.
-123 in fast break points
-72 in points off turnovers
+4 in second chance points— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) May 24, 2026
The Cavaliers have another chance at making things right in Game 4.
