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Cavaliers Advance to East Finals, First Since 2018

5/19/2026

Summary

Cavaliers Reach Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 125-94 to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
They will face the New York Knicks, who have a 20.0 net rating, a seven-game streak, and guard Jalen Brunson averaging 27.4 points on 48.5% shooting.
Cleveland’s starters logged 460 minutes, 49% more than New York’s 309, raising fatigue concerns.
Tickets cost $5 each, with proceeds to the Cavaliers Community Foundation.
It is Cleveland’s first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2018.

Summary

Knicks Ticket Surge

Knicks playoff tickets have surged past $30,000 on the secondary market, with Game 2 listed at $34,012 and Game 1 at $30,920.
The average resale price for Game 1 reached $1,078, surpassing the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals high of $1,043.
SeatGeek posted courtside seats from $12,000 to $24,000 and the cheapest tickets at $516, while StubHub sold nearly 300 tickets within an hour of Cleveland’s Game 7 win, listing prices from $497 to $10,000.

History

Historical Context

In June 1998 the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 4-2 to claim their sixth title and a second three-peat, with Michael Jordan earning his sixth Finals MVP. The championship’s high demand sparked a surge in secondary-market ticket prices, a pattern that reappears today as Eastern Conference Finals seats for teams like the Cavaliers command premium resale values.

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Cavaliers Reach Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit Pistons 125-94 to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
They will face the New York Knicks, who have a 20.0 net rating, a seven-game streak, and guard Jalen Brunson averaging 27.4 points on 48.5% shooting.
Cleveland’s starters logged 460 minutes, 49% more than New York’s 309, raising fatigue concerns.
Tickets cost $5 each, with proceeds to the Cavaliers Community Foundation.
It is Cleveland’s first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2018.

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