'We're not content,' Knicks say after Game 3 as team takes 3-0 series lead

The New York Knicks left Cleveland with a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, but players said Sunday they were not treating the series as finished. Yahoo Sports reported that Knicks players, including Jalen Brunson, told reporters they were “not content” with simply being close to an NBA Finals berth after Saturday night’s 121-108 win. New York is now one victory from its first Finals appearance since 1999. The team can close out the series in Game 4 on Monday in Cleveland. ### What did the Knicks actually say after taking a 3-0 lead? Yahoo Sports reported on May 24 that New York’s message after Game 3 was restraint, not celebration. The outlet said players described the conference finals as unfinished business and said they were “not content” with being near the Finals rather than in them. (sports.yahoo.com) Jalen Brunson was central to that tone because he had just led the Knicks again on the floor. Yahoo Sports’ account tied the postgame comments to a broader emphasis on desperation and togetherness as New York pushed Cleveland to the brink. ### How commanding was Game 3 in Cleveland? (sports.yahoo.com) Saturday’s score was 121-108, and the game was less close than the final margin suggested. The Associated Press said New York led the entire game, opened with a 9-1 burst, and was ahead 37-27 after the first quarter. Cleveland briefly tied it at 50-50 in the second quarter, but the Knicks answered with a 10-1 run and never lost control. (sports.yahoo.com) Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Mikal Bridges added 22 and OG Anunoby had 21. The Knicks shot 43-for-77 from the field, hit 11 of 28 from 3-point range and made 24 of 27 free throws, according to the AP game report. ### What has separated New York in this series? NBA.com said Game 3 was New York’s 10th straight playoff victory and its 10th double-digit win of this postseason. (cbsnews.com) The league’s recap said the Knicks never trailed in the game and outscored Cleveland 30-10 in transition, a gap it described as one-sided. Cleveland’s shooting problems have also widened the margin. (cbsnews.com) NBA.com said the Cavaliers went 12-for-41 from 3-point range and 12-for-19 at the foul line in Game 3, while the AP report said Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and James Harden added 21 in defeat. ### Why are the Knicks still talking like the job is unfinished? (nba.com) Sunday’s comments fit the position New York is in. The Knicks are one win from the Finals, but they have not yet clinched the Eastern Conference title, and players told reporters they were keeping the focus on the next game rather than the milestone in front of them, according to Yahoo Sports. (nba.com) The numbers around them are large enough to invite celebration anyway. The AP said New York is the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight in a single postseason, and NBA.com said the Knicks are now one victory from their first trip to the Finals since 1999. ### What happens next in the series? (sports.yahoo.com) Monday’s Game 4 in Cleveland is the next step, and it is a closeout opportunity for New York. The AP said the Knicks can sweep their second straight series with a win, while Yahoo Sports published the players’ comments Sunday as the team prepared for that chance. (cbsnews.com) A Knicks victory on Monday would send Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby and the rest of New York’s starting group to the franchise’s first NBA Finals since 1999. A Cleveland win would extend the series back to New York for Game 5. (cbsnews.com)