Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum put up a game-high 32 points as the team shocked the New York Knicks with a 107-106 victory at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Facing a 2-0 deficit on the road, McCollum delivered one of the best postseason performances of his career, though it was nearly ruined by a pair of missed free throws with 5.6 seconds left on the clock. Those were his only misses with seven attempts at the line. McCollum finished 12-for-22 from the floor and had a 3-for-10 record from downtown. The 34-year-old also made a significant contribution on defense, snagging two steals and blocking one shot. He collected three rebounds and dished out six assists. The Knicks have struggled to guard McCollum in the series, as he is averaging 29.0 points on nearly 55 percent efficiency. His performance has been a big boost for the team, especially with Jalen Johnson's production being only modest so far.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points in Monday's 115-105 Game 2 victory over the Toronto Raptors. In 37 minutes, he also contributed seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal. It was a highly efficient performance from Mitchell, as he nailed four of his 10 three-point attempts and finished 13-for-23 overall from the field. Combined with the regular season, Mitchell has now scored 30-plus points in four consecutive appearances. The seven-time All-Star has always stood out in the playoffs, averaging the sixth-most points all-time (28.4), and he appears set for another prolific postseason campaign. Across the first two games against Toronto, Mitchell has tallied 31.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals, hitting 57.1 percent from deep.

Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl didn't play in the second half of Monday's 115-105 Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had a limited role in the first half as well, logging only nine minutes. Poeltl finished the game with two points, four rebounds, one assist, and two turnovers, making one of his two field-goal attempts. The Austrian big man also had a tough time in Game 1, giving him averages of 3.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the series. Collin Murray-Boyles started the second half at center and was among Toronto's best performers, with 17 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. Sandro Mamukelashvili, who tallied a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double Monday night, is also set for an expanded role if Toronto decides to go forward without Poeltl.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Brandon Ingram had another disappointing outing in Monday's Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Game 1, Ingram took just one field-goal attempt after halftime, and he couldn't find his rhythm in Game 2 either. After a scoreless first half, Ingram finished with seven points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. He had a 3-for-15 success rate from the field and committed a team-high five turnovers in 36 minutes. Ingram appears to struggle under postseason pressure. The last time he played in the playoffs, in 2024 with New Orleans, his productivity also fell off a cliff. With two games played in this postseason campaign, the first-year All-Star has notched just 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, going 33.3 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from outside.