If the Cavaliers wants to reach the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, they must do something they haven’t done in more than 30 years.
Update Injury for Cleveland Cavaliers – New York Knicks
The first game of this series was a nail-biter, with the New York Knicks winning 101-97. Since then, the teams have alternated blowout victories, with Cleveland winning Game 2 and New York leading 2-1 after Game 3.
Game 3 was a shambles, with the score tied at 17 at the end of the first quarter. It was a battle to see who would wake up first, and the Knicks did, leading 45-32 at halftime. New York eventually increased the lead to 27 points before both teams cleared their benches and prepared for game four on Sunday afternoon.
Cleveland is now confronted with a huge assignment, but it has no intention of backing down.
The Cavaliers haven’t effectively come out of a 2-1 hole without James since 1992, when Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, and Mark Price guided the Cavaliers to a second-round series victory over the Boston Celtics.
Back Game 3, Donovan Mitchell had 22 points (9-19 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in 38 minutes.
Mitchell had a terrible night on Friday but still led the Cavaliers in scoring, which isn’t saying much given the team’s total of 79 points.
Mitchell should remain one of the Cavaliers’ go-to offensive players throughout the team’s postseason run. In the series, he’s averaging 25.7 points per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field.
Dylan Windler (foot) will not play in Game 4 against the Knicks on Sunday, according to Evan Dammarell of FearTheSword.com.
Windler hasn’t played since March 26 due to a left foot sprain that will keep him out of Game 4.
Though no timetable for his return has been provided, his next opportunity to suit up will be on Wednesday.
While the Cavaliers battle to avoid elimination, the Knicks are riding the energy of Friday’s victory. And with another opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, New York hopes to take another step toward capturing its first playoff series since 2013.
New York hopes to build on its defensive performance from Friday. The Knicks’ talented backcourt tandem of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland were restricted to 32 points on 13-of-40 (32.5 %) shooting.
Cleveland’s 79 points were also the fewest by an NBA team this season.
It was clear from the start that Friday night was New York’s home debut in these playoffs. They deserve some of the blame for Cleveland’s shooting struggles and New York’s game-winning runs.
The Knicks were not dominant at home in the regular season, going 24-17, but the fans’ passion proved significant against a Cleveland club that was weak on the road.
However, New York’s offense, particularly All-Star Julius Randle, is not out of the woods. Randle went 3-15 from the field, 2-10 from three, and missed a lot of open looks.
His other game features ranged from decent to great, but he was the team’s leading scorer this season.
RJ Barrett kept the team afloat in the first quarter, scoring 10 of New York’s 17 points, before Jalen Brunson exploded to seal the victory.
Jericho Sims (shoulder) won’t play in Game 4. He will miss his second straight game with right shoulder soreness.
Meanwhile, Quentin Grimes (shoulder) is questionable for this game.
Grimes exited Friday’s Game 3 after sustaining a bruised right shoulder and is at risk of also sitting out Game 4. If he were to miss, expect either Josh Hart or Immanuel Quickley to step into the starting lineup, while both would see expanded roles.
