Knicks Lead Cavaliers 2-0: Everything You Need to Know Before Game 3 TONIGHT at 8PM ET

The New York Knicks are two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. After winning Game 1 in overtime 115-104 and dominating Game 2 by 109-93, the Knicks travel to Cleveland tonight for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at 8 PM ET on ABC. A 3-0 lead would put them on the doorstep of history. The question isn't whether New York is the better team right now — it's whether Cleveland has the resilience to make this a real series.

HOW THE KNICKS WON GAMES 1 AND 2

Game 1 was a tense overtime battle that showcased everything this Knicks team is capable of: clutch Jalen Brunson shot-making down the stretch, Karl-Anthony Towns dominating the glass when it mattered most, and the Madison Square Garden crowd creating an atmosphere that affected Cleveland's execution in key moments. The 115-104 final flatters New York slightly — Cleveland hung around for most of regulation — but the Knicks made the decisive plays when the game was on the line. Game 2 was more definitive. A 109-93 win that showed New York's defensive sophistication and their ability to build and maintain leads. The Cavaliers looked tired, their rotation players visibly struggling with the accumulated fatigue of back-to-back seven-game series in the first two rounds.

DONOVAN MITCHELL'S MUST-HAVE GAME TONIGHT

Cleveland needs Donovan Mitchell at his absolute ceiling tonight to have any hope of keeping this series alive. The Cavaliers' star guard has been the engine of this entire playoff run, and the two losses to New York have come partly because his supporting cast hasn't been able to match Brunson's playmaking. At home in Cleveland tonight, Mitchell has the crowd advantage and the motivation of a team staring at elimination. No team has ever come back from 0-3 in NBA playoff history. Tonight is about keeping that impossibility at bay.

PREDICTION: CAN CLEVELAND SURVIVE?

The Knicks have shown no signs of letting up. Brunson is playing the best playoff basketball of his career. Towns is healthy and motivated. OG Anunoby continues to make winning plays on both ends. The home crowd in Cleveland will matter, but the momentum is entirely with New York. If Brunson and the Knicks play the way they have through the first two games, they may well be celebrating a Finals berth before Memorial Day weekend is over. Tune in tonight on ABC at 8 PM ET for one of the most important games in Knicks history.