Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks begin the series with the Conferência Leste finals on May 20, broadcast on Disney+ Filipinas. Departures take place every other day at 8 am. Ambas the teams got this far after eliminating traditional competitors, paving the way for one of the most balanced series in the 2026 playoffs. Indiana Pacers, the current conference champion, was left out of this dispute, leaving room for teams eager to win a place in the NBA Finals.
Os Knicks is making its second appearance in the Conference Finals in recent years, while Cavaliers reaches this stage for the first time since the LeBron James era. Donovan Mitchell will be the protagonist of his first conference final for the Cleveland franchise.
Harden versus Towns defines the offensive matchup
The series could ultimately come down to the performance of each team’s secondary stars. James Harden, per Cavaliers, is averaging 20.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the playoffs. Karl-Anthony Towns, for New York, accumulates 17.4 points, 10 rebounds and 6.6 assists with 59% shooting, 48% three-pointers and 90% free throws.
Inconsistency follows Harden in high-pressure games. In Jogo 7’s victory against Detroit Pistons, the point guard scored just nine points with 20% shooting from the field. Teve struggled with turnovers and efficiency when Pistons closed its spaces in the infiltration lines, forcing it into difficult isolation situations.
Towns builds one of the most efficient playoff campaigns of his career. New York uses him more and more as a playmaker in attack, punishing double markings and facilitating movement around Jalen Brunson. Sua versatility becomes especially important to balance the responsibility of spacing the court and dealing with the physical game of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen inside the box.
Cleveland pivots seek physical imposition
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen form a pair of pivots that few teams can match. No Jogo 7 against Detroit, both dominated the court. Allen finished with an impressive 23 points and rebounds, while Mobley contributed 21 points and 12 rebounds in Cavaliers’s 125-94 victory.
Throughout the postseason:
- Evan Mobley records 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game
- Jarrett Allen accumulates 12.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game
- The duo gives Cavaliers one of the most physical big shots left in the playoffs
Inconsistency remains this duo’s biggest problem. Houve moments in the series against Detroit where the size advantage disappeared. Quando the attack became very focused on the perimeter, or when the pivots had difficulty punishing the smaller formations on the attack, the effectiveness dropped drastically.
Estrutura tactics of both teams
Ambas teams build their offenses around elite point guards. Donovan Mitchell leads Cleveland while Jalen Brunson leads New York. Essa similarity creates an interesting clash of offensive strategies.
Harden acts more as a play initiator on the perimeter alongside Mitchell in Cleveland. Towns offers New York spacing, rebounding and creating secondary plays from the paint. Ambos have the potential to decide games offensively, but they could also become defensive targets as the series progresses.
The first match marks Knicks’s return to the conference finals after a few years of construction. The team leans its recovery on an experienced, battle-tested core, with Brunson established as the primary playmaker and Towns offering versatility.
Cleveland arrives motivated to reach the conference final after a long period of reconstruction. Mitchell takes his first turn in a series like this for the franchise. Harden’s performance in critical moments becomes essential to determine whether Mobley and Allen can impose their will offensively.
Transmissão and schedules
The series’ matches will be broadcast on Disney+, the new home of the NBA on Filipinas. With games on alternate days starting at 8 am local time, fans will watch one of the most balanced clashes of the postseason. The series marks the continuation of premium coverage of professional basketball on the streaming platform.