Madison Square again hung the full sign with more than 19,000 spectators to witness the impressive victory of the New York Knicks against the Cleveland Cavaliers by 93-102 that allows them to take a 3-1 lead in the tie.
The public went wild in the final stretch driven by a decisive Jalen Brunson, who became the top scorer for the Knickerbockers with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists through a 5/9 in triples.
Along with him, RJ Barrett supported the offense and once again showed his best face despite the irregular start to the playoffs that he has starred in. The Canadian scored 26 points through a 9/18 shot, although his weak point was in the triple with 0/6 attempts.
If it wasn’t Brunson it was Barret. Both, a power hammer in the final stretch when the Cavs tried to rejoin the game through a willful Darius Garland with 23 points and 10 assists for him.
Randle y Mitchell, missing
The negative note was put by Julius Randle and Donovan Mitchell, both missing in the second half. He was surprised that Thibodeau decided to seat him instead of the always dutiful Obi Toppin.
Randle didn’t even reach half an hour of play to stay at just 7 points and 2 rebounds. For his part, the Cavs star went from better to worse with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists on 5/18 shooting.
Mitchell’s numbers
- 1st half: 9 points through a 4/9 in field goals.
- 2nd half: 2 points through a 1/9 in field goals.
It should be remembered that the statistics go against him with a negative record of 18-25 in his NBA playoff career.
‘In crescendo’ Barrett
For the second consecutive game Barrett showed his best version, going from less to more in this tie. He was aggressive attacking the rim and never gave up despite the fact that the triple was not entering him.
The Canadian has realized that his presence is as important as the other stars on the team, and this time the Knicks needed him more than ever with Randle gone. His were 26 points close to 40 minutes on the floor.
- Game 1: 7 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists through 2/12 shooting from the field.
- Game 2: 14 points through a 4/13 shooting from the field.
- Game 3: 19 points and 8 rebounds through 8/12 shooting from the field.
- Game 4: 26 points through 9/18 shooting from the field.
Other highlights
Knicks: Josh Hart replaced the injured Quentin Grimes (right shoulder) as the starting guard for the Knicks, and the Villanova man once again excelled doing the dirty work, especially in defensive work. He finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Mitchell Robinson contributed a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and the work of reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein was also very important. The number 55 of the Knicks had 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 21 minutes of play.
Cavaliers: Young Evan Mobley was eliminated for personal fouls. He had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. They also added double figures Jarrett Allen (14); Caris LeVert (14) and Cedi Osman (10).
(Cover photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
2023-04-23 20:55:17
#York #crazy
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