As two behemoths clash in the Western Conference Finals, the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder versus San Antonio Spurs series is all but guaranteed to be heavy favorites in the NBA Finals.
But as these teams duel in what very well could be a seven-game series, the New York Knicks are setting themselves up to have a major rest advantage in the NBA Finals, should they seal the deal and make it there for the first time since 1999.
After a gutsy 22-point fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1, New York looked like the clearly superior team over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2.
The Knicks are currently -800 favorites to win the series, but whether they allow the Cavs to prolong this series will have a major impact on their chances to win the championship.
The biggest challenge will be to take a 3-0 lead against a Cavs team that has been great at home this postseason, going 6-1 through two series.
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First Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5 over New York Knicks
Rundown: Through 12 games this postseason, New York has a point differential of +221, which is the greatest in NBA history. Even the Steph Curry and Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors in 2017, who famously were one game away from sweeping through the entire playoffs, trail behind these Knicks with a +196 point differential.
While the Knicks would be a worthy Eastern Conference champion if they are to get there, they were also a three-seed and a 53-win team this season, making this postseason run of dominance all the more unexpected.
The Knicks were just barely over .500 at 22-19 on the road this postseason, and in facing a Cavs team that is dominant at home, this seems like a spot for a regression to the mean and a resounding Cleveland victory.
Second Pick: New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Over 215
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
May 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) collides with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the fourth quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA at Madison Square Garden.
Rundown: There’s some hesitancy in backing the over after seeing how the Knicks shut down the Cavs offense in Game 2, holding them to 93 points.
However, stagnation that the Cavs offense has faced away from home these playoffs does not carry back to Cleveland.
Through 16 games, the Cavs average 10.2 points more per game at home, shoot 49.4% from the field as opposed to 42.8% on the road, and shoot 37.6% from three compared to 30.3% on the road.
Donovan Mitchell has played well so far in this series, scoring 26 and 29 points despite being down 0-2, but he hasn’t had much help from his costars in Evan Mobley and James Harden.
A return to form at home for the Cavs supporting cast should result in a big offensive day, but Cleveland still has very little it can do against the New York offense.
After getting carved relentlessly in the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 1 by Jalen Brunson, Cleveland tried to force the ball out of his hands with more doubles and sagging off shooters.
It resulted in a rare 14-assist performance from Brunson, and a playoff career-high 26 points for Josh Hart.
The Cavs truly do not have the facilities to limit the Knicks offense outside of just a poor shooting night, which makes the over a solid play here with Cleveland at home.