Knicks vs. Cavs: NBA Eastern Conference Finals blog
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks heads for the net as Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers defends. Credit: Getty Images
Covering the Knicks and Cavaliers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals from as many angles as we can find.
End of LIRR strike is great news for Knicks fans
Adam and Andrew Ayroso, of Bethpage, were in good spirits Tuesday when they took the LIRR to Game 1 of the Knicks’ Eastern Conference Finals game with the Cavaliers.
But a day earlier? There was serious doubts and their father was concerned their commute would be a lot worse.
“We worried we’d have to drive in and that would take a couple of hours,” Adam said at Penn Station.
Instead they arrived 90 mins before tipoff in Knicks jerseys. Andrew was glad because he’s been to plenty of Knicks games and it could’ve been a strain both arriving and leaving the city.
Having the LIRR back made him appreciate how many people have to commute to and from Long Island to Manhattan. The brothers could now focus on more important matters, such as if the Knicks would win Tuesday or not.
Yet they also supported the LIRR union and weren’t upset they went on strike just before a pivotal playoff game.
Adam said: “I hope that people got what they asked for."
Thundersticks and flashing wrist bands and T-shirts, oh my!
Before tip-off, the Knicks have people placing Thundersticks, T-shirts, flashing wristbands and towels at people's seats. "It's a finely tuned machine," said the woman in charge of laying out the Thundersticks.
T-Shirts, thundersticks and towels on seats at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026. Credit: Barbara Barker
T-Shirts, flashing wrist bands and towels on seats at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026. Credit: Barbara Barker
T-Shirts and towels on seats at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026. Credit: Barbara Barker
Jalen Brunson's Knicks Game 1 history
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts in the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round at Madison Square Garden on April 18. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Jalen Brunson has played in nine playoff series with the Knicks since arriving in 2022. A look at his Game 1 averages in those series:
Points: 31.7
Assists: 5.6
Rebounds: 3.7
Three-point percentage: 33.7%
Free throw percentage: 88.6%
Minutes played: 38:07
Turnovers: 3.3
Pepsi gave away 10 free Knicks tickets to Game 2
Pepsi is sending New York Knicks fans to the Garden on Thursday with a NYC Collector Can Drop on May 19, 2026 across the five boroughs. Credit: Getty Images for Pepsi/Ilya S. Savenok
Five lucky Knicks fans scored tickets for Thursday night’s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden.
At noon today, Pepsi dropped five limited-edition Pepsi x Knicks collector cans in bodegas and pizzerias across all five boroughs — and fans found every single one in under 15 minutes flat.
The five winners will all be in the Pepsi Suite at The Garden on Thursday, May 21.
Here’s where the cans were hiding:
- Brooklyn: 555 Deli and Grill
- Queens: Gino’s
- Staten Island: Beyar’s Market
- Manhattan: Yorkville Deli
- The Bronx: Green Apple Gourmet
Getting to the game
LIRR schedules are expected to return to full service at 4 p.m. after the strike ended Wednesday night, meaning fans who are heading to Madison Square Garden for Game 1 should have their usual slate of trains to get to the game.
As of 3 p.m., off-peak trains were scheduled to leave from Ronkonkoma at 3:21, 3:54, 4:13, 4:46, 5:27, 5:54 and 6:25 p.m,, all of which were scheduled to arrive at Penn Station before 8 p.m. tip-off, according to the MTA's TrainTime app.
The Babylon line had off-peak trains leaving at 3:07, 3:18, 3:43, 4:07, 4:17, 4:52, 5:14, 5:35, 6:06, 6:18, and 6:38 p.m. Huntington off-peak trains left at 3:20, 3:53, 4:12, 4:16, 4:51, 5:09, 5:41, 5:46, 6:19 and 6:46 p.m.
The NBA playoff history between the Knicks and Cavs
The Knicks and Cavaliers will be meeting in the playoffs for the fifth time in NBA history. The previous four matchups took place in the Eastern Conference first round, and the Knicks won each of those series. The Knicks are 12-2 in their 14 playoff games against the Cavaliers.
1978: Knicks 2, Cavaliers 0
Bob McAdoo averaged 34 points and nine rebounds in the sweep for the Knicks. Campy Russell, who would later play for the Knicks for two seasons, led the Cavs with 27.5 points per game.
1995: Knicks 3, Cavaliers 1
The Knicks won both games in Cleveland as Patrick Ewing averaged 18.5 points and 11 rebounds in the series. Mark Price led the Cavs with 15 points and 6.5 assists per game.
1996: Knicks 3, Cavaliers 0
Jeff Van Gundy, who replaced Don Nelson as Knicks coach late in the regular season, won his first playoff series as a head coach. John Starks led the Knicks with 19.7 points and six assists per game.
2023: Knicks 4, Cavaliers 1
The Knicks easily won the series over the favored Cavaliers as Jalen Brunson led the way with 24 points per game. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 23.2 points per game in the series.
Ben Stiller and Patrick Ewing narrate 'Always Knicks' hype videos
First up, Mr. Tropic Thunder . . .
. . . followed by Patrick Ewing
Knicks vs. Cavs TV schedule
All games start at 8 p.m. ET and air on ESPN, unless otherwise noted
Game 1: Cleveland at Knicks, Tuesday
Game 2: Cleveland at Knicks, Thursday
Game 3: Knicks at Cleveland, Saturday on ABC
Game 4: Knicks at Cleveland, Monday, May 25
*Game 5: Cleveland at Knicks, Wednesday, May 27
*Game 6: Knicks at Cleveland, Friday, May 29
*Game 7: Cleveland at Knicks, Sunday, May 31
