The Cleveland Cavaliers are back in the conference finals for the first time since 2018, and they will stop at nothing in trying to beat the New York Knicks.
New York is well-rested, having swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, while Cleveland is coming off a grueling seven-game battle with the Detroit Pistons.
Many believe that the Knicks are peaking at the right time, tagging them as the favorite against the Cavaliers. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, however, wanted to pump the brakes on the predictions that New York will easily defeat Cleveland.
“The Knicks are now expected to win. I’m hearing everyone say, ‘Knicks in five, Knicks in five, Knicks in five. Okay, maybe I’m wrong, the Cavs are a flawed team, I keep saying that. They’re 8 and 6 (in the playoffs),” said Windhorst.
“But if they play in this series five times over, I bet the Cavs can win two out of five. Maybe it will fall their way, maybe it won’t. Let’s put it this way: Don’t make plans for June.”
"I'm hearing everyone say 'Knicks in 5, Knicks in 5, Knicks in 5," – @WindhorstESPN is ABSOLUTELY not counting out the Cavs in this series. https://t.co/ju7yHNhaSc pic.twitter.com/8Csapfa7GR
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 18, 2026
The Cavaliers lost twice to the Knicks in their three meetings in the regular season. The one game they won was when James Harden arrived. He could be the key to eliminating the Knicks.
New York’s confidence, however, is at an all-time high, winning by an average margin of 19.4 points in the first two rounds, which is the highest in over two decades in the playoffs, according to NBA.com.
The Cavaliers have not defeated the Knicks in four matchups in the playoffs—all in the first round. The latest was in 2023, with New York winning, 4-1.