The New York Knicks have taken a 3-0 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks will have the opportunity to close the series out in Game 4 on the road at Rocket Arena on Monday, May 25.
It’s a deep hole for the Cavs to try to climb out of. No team in the league’s history has come back to win a series after losing the first three games. In fact, only three teams have even managed to rally back into a series to force a Game 7 after a 3-0 deficit in a series.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson still appears optimistic about his team’s chances in the series.
“Analytically… we’ve won two out of three games on the expected (score),” Atkinson said. “I think last night it was one point or two.”
The Knicks have averaged 115 points through the first three games in the series compared to just 101.7 for the Cavs. Cleveland has made 109-of-254 shot attempts, including 37-of-126 from the 3-point line, while New York has shot 129-of-250 from the field and 34-of-96 from long range.
“We were shooting way lower than expected and they’re shooting way over,” Atkinson said. “I know nobody wants to hear that. … Everyone is outcome based.”
The Knicks rallied in the fourth quarter of Game 1, erasing the Cavaliers’ 22-point lead by going on a 44-11 scoring run from the 7:52 mark in the final period of regulation and into overtime to secure the victory.
More: Knicks close in on NBA Finals: Takeaways from Game 3 win vs. Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson argues a call with referee Zach Zarba (not pictured) during the first half against the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 15, 2026.
When do Knicks and Cavaliers play next?
The Cavaliers will host the Knicks for Game 4 of the series on Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. The Knicks need one more victory to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson believes Cleveland has analytical 2-1 lead
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