Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 Preview, Picks & Odds for Thursday, May 21, 2026

By Braxton Reynolds | May 20, 2026, 7:12pm

Game 2 between the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1) and New York Knicks (1-0) is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both teams have their full rosters available, although OG Anunoby is not quite at full strength yet after sustaining a hamstring strain on May 6.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Betting Analysis

The Cavaliers came out of halftime on fire and pushed their lead to 22 points with 7:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. They were in position to steal the series opener on the road, but New York never gave up. The Knicks ripped off a 44-11 run from this point on across the fourth quarter and overtime and ripped Cleveland’s heart out.

Jalen Brunson tallied 38 points on 15-for-29 shooting from the field. He hunted mismatches throughout the fourth quarter and was especially successful at attacking James Harden in isolation. When Cleveland blitzed Brunson on high ball screens to get the basketball out of his hands, the 3x All-Star made the right passes and racked up hockey assists. Mikal Bridges also had an impactful two-way performance, while Landry Shamet made three triples off the bench and spaced the court.

Donovan Mitchell was phenomenal for most of the game. He scored efficiently, got to his spots, and logged six steals. However, Cleveland’s collapse occurred largely because Mitchell became uninvolved. There were too many Harden pick-and-rolls that led to mediocre shots. Mitchell was probably gassed, but he had to assert himself during the final few minutes of the fourth quarter. His failure to do so allowed New York to string defensive stops.

On the bright side, Sam Merrill scored 12 points off the bench. His quick trigger punished New York’s double teams and late rotations. He’s worth monitoring moving forward as a key X-Factor.

The best bet for Game 2 is taking New York to cover the 6.5-point spread as favorites. The Knicks were uncharacteristically poor from beyond the arc in Game 1, as they missed a ton of great looks. Look for them to bounce back in Game 2. Plus, it was a demoralizing loss for Cleveland, and Brunson is the best player on the court. He has plenty of defensive liabilities to target.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Knicks -6.5 (-105) at DraftKings
Score Prediction: Knicks 111, Cavaliers 102

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game Odds

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game Information

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
Location: New York, New York
Venue: Madison Square Garden – 226.8 ppg; 22-23-1 O/U
Series Score: Knicks 1-0

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Betting Resources

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Key Players

Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell – Last Game: 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
James Harden – Last Game: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Evan Mobley – Last Game: 15 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists

Knicks

Jalen Brunson – Last Game: 38 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists
Karl-Anthony Towns – Last Game: 13 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists
OG Anunoby – Last Game: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists

Braxton Reynolds

Braxton has been covering the NBA for Lineups since the 2022 season. He's worked with multiple collegiate coaching staffs regarding analytics and scouting, which has allowed him to understand the game on a deeper level. Braxton also currently writes about the Oklahoma City Thunder for Thunder Roundtable.