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After their emphatic win in Detroit on Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to clash with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
For Cleveland, this is their first Conference Finals appearance without LeBron James since 1992, when they fell to the Chicago Bulls in six games. On the other side of the court, New York will be battling in their second-straight Conference Finals round, a stretch of history it hasn't hit consecutively since the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
New York and Cleveland's matchup will be interesting. While the Knicks won the first two meetings between the teams during the regular season, Cleveland did win the only time they faced off after acquiring James Harden. They went on to win that game by 15 points.
With Brunson at the helm, the Knicks may be in their best spot to reach their first NBA Finals since the 1999 season. However, a large portion of NBA fans also believed this last year prior to their loss to the Pacers.
If the Knicks can contain Donovan Mitchell and force Harden into turning the ball over like he frequently has these playoffs, they have a great shot of winning tonight's game in front of their own home crowd.
Here's what you need to know about Tuesday's matchup between the Knicks and Cavs, including broadcast information and start time.
What channel is Knicks vs. Cavs on today?
Knicks vs. Cavs Game 1 will be broadcast by ESPN and will stream live on the ESPN app or DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new users.
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Knicks vs. Cavs start time
- Date: Tuesday, May 19
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs series between New York and Cleveland is set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.
Knicks vs. Cavs schedule
| May 19 | Game 1 at New York | 8 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, DIRECTV |
| May 21 | Game 2 at New York | 8 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, DIRECTV |
| May 23 | Game 3 at Cleveland | 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN app, DIRECTV |
| May 25 | Game 4 at Cleveland | 8 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, DIRECTV |
| May 27 | Game 5 at New York* | 8 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, DIRECTV |
| May 29 | Game 6 at Cleveland* | 8 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, DIRECTV |
| May 31 | Game 7 at New York* | 8 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, DIRECTV |
* If necessary
NBA Playoffs bracket 2026
Click here for the updated 2026 NBA Playoffs bracket from The Sporting News.
NBA Playoffs schedule, key dates for 2026
Here are the key dates to know for the NBA Playoffs and offseason.
| NBA Finals begin | June 3 |
| NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary) | June 19 |
| NBA Draft | June 23-24 |
* Can move up depending on earlier series
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