It’s possible that this first-round showdown will be the most thrilling and certainly the roughest. The fifth-seeded New York Knicks are taking on the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the series on Saturday night in Ohio.
Saturday night’s opening game will be played at 6:00 p.m. EST in front of what is sure to be a raucous crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Update Injury Cleveland Cavaliers – New York Knicks
Don’t waste your time looking for a better defense than the Cavaliers’ 2022-23 squad.
In the regular season, Cleveland allowed the fewest three-point attempts per game and held opponents to the sixth-lowest effective field goal percentage.
Cleveland was no slouch offensively, either, finishing eighth in offensive rating. They finished ninth in effective field goal percentage, led by a 66.1% shooting percentage at the rim.
Donovan Mitchell is the biggest name, and he’s recently destroyed the Knicks. He’s averaged 32.5 points and 7.0 assists in his last six games against New York.
Mitchell (finger) isn’t listed on the injury report for Saturday’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Knicks.
Mitchell missed back-to-back games at the end of the regular season due to a finger injury, but he’ll be ready for playoff action.
Prior to his absences, the All-Star guard scored 40 points or more in four consecutive games, averaging 42.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 40.3 minutes.
Darius Garland and Carmelo Anthony were both held out of games at the end of the season, but those were deemed precautionary. On Saturday night, both players should suit up.
Meanwhile, Isaac Okoro is less certain, though he’s reportedly on the right track. Okoro is a fantastic defender, so that would be a huge boost.
With a 24-17 record away from Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks were one of seven teams to finish above.500 on the road this season. Their net rating on the road was +1.6, ranking them fifth in the NBA.
One of those road victories came against the Cavaliers on March 31, the last time they faced them. The Knicks won 130-116 despite the absence of Julius Randle.
The health of Julius Randle may be the most important storyline for the Knicks. Before spraining his ankle against the Heat on March 29, he was on his way to playing all 82 games. Randle has been practicing, but only on a limited basis, with no contact activities.
This season, Julius Randle was an All-Star, leading the Knicks in scoring and rebounding. They made it through the regular season without his 25.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, but the postseason will be tougher.
Jalen Brunson, who also suffered an injury at the end of the season, has stated that his right-hand sprain will not hinder him in any way. He’s a left-handed shooter, so that won’t be an issue.
Brunson will need to be at his best, as he was in the playoffs last year, to lead an offense that finished fourth in offensive rating.
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Injury Report Knicks:
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Julius Randle | Ankle | Game Time Decision |
| Isaiah Roby | Not Injury Related | Out for the season |
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Injury Report Cavaliers:
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Dylan Windler | Foot | Expected to be out until at least Apr 18 |
| Isaac Okoro | Knee | Game Time Decision |
