The New York Knicks have taken back the series lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 1 of the 2023 NBA playoffs after a dominant win at Madison Square Garden on Friday night (New York Post). The Knicks rode lockdown defense in a huge Game 3 rout of the Cavaliers that saw them recording 18 steals and 7 blocks. Cavaliers’ All-Star guard Darius Garland struggled with a disastrous night against the Knicks’ stymie defense, while Knicks’ Quentin Grimes had to leave early with a bruised shoulder (New York Post).
One of the standout players for the Knicks was RJ Barrett, who broke his shooting slump with a 19-point game in Game 3 against the Cavs (New York Post). Barrett is known for not letting shooting slumps get to him and he proved it on Friday night with his impressive performance.
The electric Garden crowd also played a significant role in the Knicks’ win. Fans were shaking in the stands and provided the Knicks with an extra boost to take control of the game (New York Post). Jalen Brunson, a five-season veteran finally got to experience what it means to wear a Knicks jersey with crazed Basketball New York on and stated that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience (New York Post).
Immanuel Quickley, on the other hand, is using his Sixth Man snub as career fuel. Quickley finished second in the balloting for the NBA’s Sixth Man but wasn’t buying the reasoning many voters undoubtedly cited for his second-place finish. He’s now using that snub as fuel to help the Knicks continue their playoff run (New York Post).
The Knicks-Cavaliers Game 3 live updates showed that the Knicks were cruising in the fourth quarter (New York Post). The Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the New York Knicks was predicted to be the most interesting and competitive first-round series in the Eastern Conference and so far, it’s been living up to those expectations (CBS Sports).
The Knicks have a chance to advance into the next round of the playoffs as they head into Game 4 with the confidence-boosting win from Game 3 (New York Post). With a combination of strong defense and electric crowd support, the Knicks could very well be on their way to the NBA finals like they did in the 1990s and early 2000s (New York Post).
