NBA Playoffs | Eastern Conference Finals: Game 4
Written by: Varun Sharma
Published: Mon May 25, 2026, 5:38 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
nba
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-2
-105
219
-110o
-127
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218.5
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+110
The Eastern Conference Finals continues tonight with the New York Knicks up three games to none on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks have largely taken care of business in these first three games and tonight they've got a chance to finish the job.
With so much on the line tonight, let's jump right into it.
For additional information on picks, props, money lines and more on today's NBA slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page.
Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Rocket Arena; Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: Monday, May 25th, 2026
- Tipoff: 8:10 PM EST
Postseason Performers
- Jalen Brunson (NYK): 35.0 MPG | 27.6 PPG | 2.8 RPG | 6.8 APG
- Donovan Mitchell (CLE): 36.4 MPG | 25.9 PPG | 5.1 RPG | 3.1 APG
Betting Odds
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Knickstape
As hard as it is to admit, this Knicks squad is the best Knicks team of my adult life. Jalen Brunson's been unstoppable in the postseason and even more so in the 4th quarter.
Brunson leads the playoffs in 4th quarter scoring and he's shooting nearly 60% in the final frame of these playoff games. The Knicks' captain has been deadly late in games and he's coming off another 30-point outing in Game 3.
Brunson's also averaging 9.2 points per game in the 4th quarter and it's why the Knicks have now won 9 games in a row here in the playoffs.
One of the biggest surprises of the playoffs so far has been New York's defense. The team ranks 1st in defensive rating these playoffs and have held Cleveland to under 105 points in two of these first three games.
New York's allowing just 101.2 points per game in the postseason and holding their opponents just 43% from the field and an astounding 30% from the perimeter. At the center of their defense has been two guys, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby.
Both guys lead the team in net rating during this postseason run and both lead the Knicks in defensive net rating.
Cooked in Cleveland?
The Cavaliers look like they've got no gas left in the tank. The team's scoring just 101.7 points per game in the Conference Finals and their big three of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and James Harden have been relatively missing.
Harden's averaging 17.3 points per game in this series and shooting just 41% from the field and 23% from outside. Mobley's been a little bit better, averaging 17.7 points per game but just 8.7 rebounds per game.
If not for his most recent 24-point game, Mobley's been a ghost. He scored under 15 points in both Games 1 and 2, shot below 50% from the field and he's secured double digit rebounds just once.
The best of the bunch has been Mitchell. Spidey's averaging 26.0 points per game against the Knicks, shooting 47% from the field and 32% from the perimeter. The problem with Mitchell is outside of scoring, he hasn't been able to do much else.
Mitchell hasn't defended at a high level, hasn't been able to facilitate within this offense and he's averaging 3.3 turnovers per game. The Cavaliers need to be better but it might just be too late.
Monday's Best Bets
Jalen Brunson 33.5 P/A (-118) | Lucky Rebel
If they continue to give us this line, I'm going to keep taking it. Brunson's averaging 28/7 in the postseason, he's shooting 49% from the field and like I said above; he's been even better in the fourth.
Brunson scored 30 points, dished out 6 assists and played 41 minutes in a 13-point win. Head Coach Mike Brown is more than willing to let his star PG play a ton of minutes and it's payed dividends for the Knicks.
The Knicks offensive rating jumps to 126.4 with Brunson on the floor in the postseason and it's clear he's the engine driving this offense. With a chance to close out the series AND make their first trip to the Finals; I'm rolling with Brunson.
Looking for More
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