Knicks take 3-0 East finals lead with 121-108 Game 3 win over Cavaliers

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points on May 23 as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The victory at Rocket Arena in Cleveland gave New York a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and pushed the Knicks within one win of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. New York also extended its playoff winning streak to 10 games, according to CBS Sports. Game 4 is scheduled for Monday, May 25, in Cleveland. ### How did New York build another double-digit win? New York opened with a 37-point first quarter and never gave up the lead, according to NBA.com’s box score. The Knicks led 60-54 at halftime, then outscored Cleveland 31-28 in the third quarter and 30-26 in the fourth. Mikal Bridges gave New York efficient secondary scoring with 22 points on 11-for-15 shooting, while OG Anunoby added 21 points. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and the Knicks shot 55.8% from the field as a team. Landry Shamet added 14 points off the bench for New York. Josh Hart scored 12 points with nine rebounds, five assists and four steals. ### What did Brunson's night look like? Brunson finished with 30 points, six assists and 10 made free throws in 41 minutes, according to NBA.com. He shot 10-for-19 from the field and helped steady New York’s offense when Cleveland cut into the margin. The AP game report said Brunson paced the Knicks as they moved within one win of the Finals. His scoring again set the tone for a team that has now won all three games in the series by at least 11 points. ### Why couldn't Cleveland turn the game? Cleveland got 24 points from Evan Mobley and 23 from Donovan Mitchell, but the Cavaliers left points at the line and turned the ball over 17 times. Jarrett Allen added 17 points, and James Harden had 19 points and five assists. The Cavaliers shot 50.0% overall, but they went 12-for-19 on free throws and 12-for-41 from three-point range. Mitchell also committed five turnovers, and Cleveland finished with a minus-13 scoring margin despite getting 22 assists. ### How unusual is New York's position now? The Knicks are one win from their first conference title since 1999, CBS Sports reported. The same report said New York can clinch the East in Game 4 on Monday night. CBS Sports also said the win was New York’s 10th straight playoff victory. That streak has carried the Knicks from the second round through three games of the conference finals without a loss. ### What comes next in the series? Game 4 is set for Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. Eastern in Cleveland, according to CBS Sports. The Knicks can close out the Cavaliers there and advance to the NBA Finals, while Cleveland needs a home win to extend the series to Game 5 on May 27 in New York.