Knicks one win from sweep after 121-108 Game 3 win over Cavaliers

The New York Knicks are one win from the NBA Finals after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night in Cleveland. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Mikal Bridges added 22 and OG Anunoby finished with 21 as New York took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The win moved the Knicks within one game of their first Finals appearance since 1999, according to game coverage from the Washington Post and Cleveland.com. New York also extended its playoff winning streak to 10 games, a run Yardbarker said made the Knicks the 10th team to win 10 or more straight in a single postseason. ### How complete was New York’s control in Game 3? Cleveland trailed throughout in what Cleveland.com described as a wire-to-wire loss at Rocket Arena. NBA.com’s live recap said New York entered the night on a nine-game playoff winning streak and had been winning those games by an average of 23.5 points, and the Knicks kept control long enough in Game 3 to push the Cavaliers to the brink of elimination. (washingtonpost.com) Jalen Brunson’s 30 points led a balanced New York scoring line. Yahoo Sports’ game coverage said Bridges scored 22 and Anunoby added 21, while New York’s 121 points were enough to answer every Cleveland push in the second half. ### Which number matters most beyond the 3-0 series lead? New York’s 10 straight playoff wins are the number that now frames the run. (cleveland.com) Yardbarker reported that the streak began with Game 3 of the first round on April 25 and placed the Knicks among the few teams in league history to win at least 10 straight in one postseason. Yahoo Sports separately described the streak as tying an NBA postseason record. (sports.yahoo.com) The 3-0 lead is the immediate series fact. The 10-game streak is the broader measure of how decisively New York has moved through the bracket, with only one of those wins coming by single digits, according to Yahoo Sports’ box-score report. ### Who drove the result for the Knicks? Brunson again set the scoring pace with 30 points. (yardbarker.com) The Washington Post’s recap identified him as the top scorer in the win, and Yahoo Sports’ box-score coverage showed New York getting additional scoring from Bridges and Anunoby rather than relying on one player alone. (sports.yahoo.com) OG Anunoby’s production stood out because it followed recent concern about his form after injury. The New York Post reported that Anunoby looked like himself again and scored 21 points in Game 3. ### What does this leave Cleveland facing? Cleveland now must win four straight games to take the series after dropping the first two in New York and Game 3 at home. (washingtonpost.com) Cleveland.com said the Cavaliers were pushed to the brink of elimination by the loss, and the series score leaves no margin for another defeat. (nypost.com) Rocket Arena will host the next chance to change that. The NBA schedule page lists the Eastern Conference finals continuing in Cleveland, with Game 4 next in the series. ### When is the closeout chance? Game 4 is scheduled for Monday, May 25, in Cleveland. The Knicks can clinch the Eastern Conference title with a win, while the Cavaliers need a victory to extend the series. (cleveland.com) The next step after that is already fixed by the bracket. Yahoo Sports’ playoff page said the NBA Finals are approaching as the conference finals continue, and New York enters Monday one game from advancing. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com)