Knicks vs. Cavaliers: Previewing the Eastern Conference Finals matchup and predicting the series result

It’s not the matchup the Knicks planned on at the start of the playoffs and maybe not even at the beginning of the season, but with the Cleveland Cavaliers' upset of the top-seeded Pistons — a series that ended Sunday night in Game 7 in Detroit — the Knicks finally have learned the identity of the obstacle to their reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in more than a quarter-century.

If the Knicks didn’t expect it, maybe the Cavaliers wanted it, willingly settling for fourth place in the Eastern Conference and setting up  matchups with Toronto and Detroit to reach this point. They might have expected second-seeded Boston rather than the third-seeded Knicks, who are as hot as any team in the NBA.

So how do the teams match up in the Eastern Conference Finals? Let’s take a look.

Big men in the middle

When the Knicks faced Cleveland three years ago in the postseason, the most notable mismatch was one in which the Cavaliers believed they had an advantage but were exposed. Mitchell Robinson outplayed Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who have had to shake criticism since that time.

Allen outplayed All-Star Jalen Duren and Mobley provided an aggressive two-way performance with his inside-outside offensive attack and defense. He earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the 2024-25 season.

But can the Cavaliers show that they’ve matured from the team that Robinson outmuscled, especially now that Robinson gets to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns or OG Anunoby?

No rest for the weary

The Cavaliers needed 14 games to get to this point.  The Knicks — who have won seven straight games — will have had eight days off since completing their sweep of Philadelphia in the second round, while the Cavs had to exhaust themselves to fight past Detroit. Not only does every game with Detroit end with a necessary ice bath to ease the bruising, but the Cavaliers piled up minutes, maybe no one more than 36-year-old James Harden. He has played at least 33 minutes in every game of the postseason, including 43 minutes Wednesday in the Game 5 overtime win. Does Harden have enough left in the tank to try to match up with the Knicks, who will throw a series of defenders at him, including Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart? He had at least four turnovers in 10 of the first 13 playoff games, including eight Friday in Game 6. Harden had only one turnover in Game 7 but also shot 2-for-10, including 0-for-6 from three-point range.

The question continues

So remember when the Knicks thought for sure they’d be able to put together a deal for Donovan Mitchell when the Utah Jazz were shopping him? And remember when the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson and there were questions about whether they could fit together with what experts assumed was Brunson as a sidekick to Mitchell? Well, the Cavs jumped in and got Mitchell from under the Knicks' noses, the Knicks built with Brunson as the leading man — and it’s hard to argue that the Knicks didn’t wind up with the better top dog. While Mitchell can have his scoring explosions — such as the 39-point second half in Game 4 — Brunson has been the leader in New York, setting a tone for hard work and professionalism. With that said, it won’t be Brunson but Bridges, Anunoby and Hart who will chase Mitchell around the floor.

The Spiderman vs. Spiderman meme on the court

Hart is the glue guy, the connector and a versatile player on both ends of the floor for the Knicks. Max Strus is the glue guy, the connector and the versatile player on both ends of the floor for the Cavaliers. They met before in the playoffs when Strus was on the Miami Heat, and he’s now doing it as the sixth man for Cleveland. When Hart adds offense, it’s a huge plus for the Knicks. It’s the same for the Cavs on nights such as Game 5, when Strus took eight shots, all from beyond the arc, and hit six of them. The real common denominator with the two players is that you don’t appreciate them — or even like them — when they’re the opponents, but when you see them every night, you see the value.

Prediction time

The Knicks may be pleased to have avoided having to face Detroit and Boston in their path through the playoffs, but Cleveland does present a more balanced array of offensive talent than either of those teams. The Cavaliers don’t play the bully-ball style that has caused the Knicks trouble this season (see the 28-points-per-game margin of defeat to Detroit in three games), so the Knicks find themselves matched up with a team more their style but one that hasn’t been as consistent with clean play on offense and a versatile assortment of defenders. Add in that Towns' arrival as a playmaking hub for the Knicks gives them a versatility of ways to attack, and it’s hard to imagine the Cavs stopping their stampede. Home court. Rest. Versatility. KNICKS IN SIX.

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.