CLEVELAND — The gap between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks couldn’t be wider, and I’m not sure it’s a talent issue.
The Knicks are a well-coached team that has a firm grip on what they want to do on both sides of the ball. Their spacing and offensive principles are on point. Even when shots aren’t going in, they continue to play how you’d expect a conference finalist to.
Meanwhile, the Cavs looked like the team they are — one that was scrounged together at the trade deadline in hopes
of making the most out of what looked like it could be a lost year. They don’t know what their strengths are, or if they do, they don’t play to them.
The Cavs deployed mostly the same game plan that worked in Game 1, but failed them in Game 2. They cheated too far off Josh Hart, offered switches to Brunson too easily, and weren’t able to target him on the other end.
The shooting would’ve offset a lot of these issues, but make no mistake, New York was the better team once again.
This all added up to a humiliating 121-108 loss in Game 3 in a game they never led. The Cavs are now down 3-0, on the brink of elimination.
The Knicks let us know early what kind of game it would be. They jumped out to a 9-1 lead. They were the aggressor once again, as has been the case since midway through the fourth quarter of Game 1. This allowed them to have a 10-point lead after Game 1.
“They were the most physical team,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said afterward. “Whatever the stats said, they were the much better team.”
The Cavs fought back to tie the game at 50 with five minutes left in the half, but a strong close to the quarter allowed the Knicks to create more separation, as they took a six-point advantage into the third.
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New York flexed its muscle in the third. They put their foot on the gas by consistently turning defense into offense. They pushed the lead to 13 before taking a seven-point lead into the fourth.
The Knicks controlled the fourth quarter. They extended the lead to 17 with excellent shot-making. Each one gave the thousands of Knicks fans who made the trip to Ohio reason to let their voices be heard as “Let’s go Knicks” chants rang out through Rocket Arena.
Donovan Mitchell, who Atkinson said wasn’t hurt but just dealing with regular bumps and bruises before the game, had 23 points on 9-21 shooting with four assists.
Evan Mobley led the Cavs with 24 points and six rebounds. Jarrett Allen had 17 points and seven rebounds.
James Harden recorded 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers in the defeat.
The Knicks were once again led by Jalen Brunson with 30 points. Mikal Bridges had 22 points. OG Anunoby had 21 points.
“They’re playing great playoff basketball,” Atkinson said. “Nine playoff wins in a row is really hard to do.”
No team has ever rallied back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history. If the Cavs are going to be the first, they need to start making the outside looks they’re given, and they need to readjust to what the Knicks have been doing offensively since the start of Game 2.
“Get one, and then we’ll go from there,” Atkinson said.
Game 4 is in Cleveland on Monday at 8 PM.
