The New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers will play each other in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks were the number 3 seed after finishing the regular season with a 53-29 record. Cleveland finished 52-30, entering the playoffs as the number 4 seed. 

The Knicks come into this series having played the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and the Philadelphia 76ers in the second. New York took care of the Hawks in six games before beating the 76ers in the second round, 4-0. 

In contrast, Cleveland has played in two seven-game series so far. They went the distance with the Raptors before beating them at home in Game 7, and did the same with Detroit before defeating them on the road 125-94 to advance to the conference finals. 

The Knicks come into this series as the favorite. They also come into this series firing on all cylinders offensively. In Game 4 of the second round against Philadelphia, they tied an NBA postseason record with 25 made three-point field goals in a 30-point win. 

If they are looking to take care of business against the Cavaliers, that will have to be a point of emphasis for them. The Knicks have the best 3-point percentage out of any team in the NBA this postseason, the only team to eclipse 40 percent. 

A player to watch from the perimeter is Miles McBride. McBride is a key piece for the Knicks and started in place of OG Anunoby in Game 4 of the second round. He has the ability to be a difference-maker on the perimeter on both ends. He was a big part of that historic 3-point performance against the 76ers, starting the game by making his first four 3-point attempts. 

If McBride can get open looks consistently this series, the Knicks will be a tall task to slow down offensively. 

While New York provides a lot of offensive firepower, the Cavaliers are not far behind. Statistically, they may not be as efficient as the Knicks, but having a playoff riser like Donovan Mitchell helps in a pivotal series like this. 

Mitchell has a career average of 27.8 points per game over the course of his playoff career. He is also coming off a Game 7 in Detroit in which he scored 26 points in 31 minutes. 

It isn't just Donovan Mitchell who can provide the load of production for Cleveland. The piece that makes Cleveland look different this year compared to previous seasons is James Harden. Harden, who was acquired in a midseason trade in exchange for Darius Garland, has been a 20-point-per-game scorer in the 2026 playoffs. 

It's Harden's first time playing in a conference final since 2018, and this time he is playing in a second-option role. There's no question Harden has the ability to take over a game; the question is, will he be able to do so against the tough Knicks perimeter defense?