Cleveland Cavaliers vs NY Knicks Prediction 5/25/26 NBA Picks Today

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks collide in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Rocket Arena on Monday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now in serious danger of getting swept after getting routed by the Knicks in a 121-108 loss in Game 3 on Saturday night. Evan Mobley led the team with 24 points on 10 of 18 shooting, Donovan Mitchell added 23 points with four assists and three steals, James Harden scored 19 points with five rebounds and five assists while Jarrett Allen chipped in with 17 points on seven of nine shooting. As a team, the Cavaliers shot 50 percent from the field and 12 of 41 from the 3-point line but they didn’t start the game like a team desperate for a win and were immediately put on the back foot after allowing 37 points in the first quarter. The Cavaliers were much better in the second quarter where they overcame an early 10-point deficit and they were still within striking distance until the fourth quarter where the Cavaliers looked like they gave up. Turnovers were an issue all game with Harden committing six turnovers, while Mobley and Mitchell committed five apiece.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are just now one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals after taking care of business in a relatively comfortable 121-108 road win in Game 3 on Saturday. Jalen Brunson led the way with a game-high 30 points and six assists, OG Anunoby added 21 points with seven rebounds and four assists, Mikal Bridges scored 22 points on an efficient 11 of 15 shooting while Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 13 points with eight rebounds and seven assists. As a team, the Knicks shot 56 percent from the field and 11 of 28 from the 3-point line as they stormed out of the gates with 37 points in the first quarter to jump out in front early, but they really didn’t gain full control until they opened the fourth quarter on a 16-9 run to pull away and make it look easy in the end. All five starters finished in double figures in scoring and they beat the Cavaliers in just about every statistic from shooting percentage to rebounds and turnovers.

The Cavaliers will be hoping to avoid getting swept in their own building but they’re going to have to play a lot better than they have so far in this series. The Knicks have really flexed their depth and balanced scoring as all five starters have contributed but their strength has really been their defense thanks to Anunoby and Bridges who have been rock-solid in every game. The Cavaliers needed to throw their best punch in Game 3, but it looked like they gave up towards the end of the game, so I don’t like their chances unless they can get massive games out of Mitchell and Harden. There is always a chance that the Knicks lose a bit of focus and aim for a gentleman’s sweep, but I just don’t have much faith in this stumbling Cavaliers outfit at all. The Knicks are only slight favorites in this one, but I think they finish off the Cavaliers with a blowout win on the road to book their tickets to the NBA Finals.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: New York -2.5

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