The Knicks took care of business Thursday night in convincing fashion. New York outscored Cleveland in the final three quarters of Game 2 to win 109-93, and now possesses a commanding 2-0 series lead in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
The statistical difference in the game was the Cavaliers’ poor shooting, as they went 39% from the field compared to the Knicks’ 52 percent. A heroic effort by Donovan Mitchell fell short, as he led the Cleveland effort with 26 points. New York forward Josh Hart likewise posted 26 points for the Knicks in Game 2.
The series now heads to Rocket Arena in Cleveland, where the Cavs face a must-win situation if they don’t want to fall behind 3-0 and risk getting swept. If ever there was a time for a clutch performance by the Cavaliers’ offense, Saturday is it. For this reason, we like Cleveland at 54 cents to win Game 3 outright and bring their dwindling hopes for a 2025-26 NBA Finals appearance back within reach.
There’s also a modest amount of value in the 13 cents price for a “yes” trade on the Cavaliers coming back to win the Eastern Conference Finals, but that forecast will only increase in value if Cleveland is able to outlast New York this Saturday night.
Kalshi traders who like New York to win Game 3 can get the Knicks point spread odds at 43 cents while giving up just 1.5 points. The Donovan Mitchell series MVP trade has gone all the way down to 12 cents, but is still a decent pick up if you believe the Cavaliers have a serious chance at ultimately winning the series.
Cleveland superstar James Harden is facing criticism for his lack of scoring and defensive contributions over the course of the first two ECF games. He was dominated by Jalen Brunson on Tuesday, and once again couldn’t find an offensive rhythm Thursday.
Correspondingly, his share price for potential series MVP has plummeted and fallen off the radar completely. Without Harden at his best, the Cavs are in serious jeopardy of getting swept out of the playoffs by the surging Knicks.
A number of trades have soared or dropped significantly in early market movement prior to Game 3. Jalen Brunson has moved all the way up to 82 cents for the eventual ECF MVP. Prediction market experts at Kalshi are also pricing in the momentum that the Knicks currently have, with the first road win of the series occurring on Saturday jumping up to 46 cents.
The final series tally of New York winning by more than 2.5 games has seen a similar spike in forecasting activity. Traders are now pricing those series spread and total lines at 57% on the “yes” option. In order for that contract to be graded successfully, the Knicks must win the series by a final tally of either 4-0 or 4-1.
Game 3 action tips-off Saturday night at 8:00pm at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The Knicks can either take a commanding 3-0 series lead of the Cavaliers can make the ECF competitive with a win of their own.
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