New York Knicks one win from Finals

The New York Knicks moved within one win of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday, May 23, at Rocket Arena. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Mikal Bridges added 22 and OG Anunoby had 21 as New York took a 3-0 series lead. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a game-best plus-23, according to the NBA box score. The Knicks’ official X account posted after the game that New York was one win from the Finals, matching the result listed on NBA.com. ### How did New York put Cleveland in a 3-0 hole? New York led the entire game on May 23 and opened with a 9-1 burst less than two minutes in, according to the NBA game recap. The Knicks shot 43-for-77 from the field, 11-for-28 from three-point range and 24-for-27 from the foul line. Cleveland tied the game at 50-50 in the second quarter, but New York answered with a 10-1 run and took a 60-54 lead into halftime. (nba.com) The third quarter kept the pressure on Cleveland. Brunson scored six points during an 8-1 run that pushed the Knicks’ lead to 83-70, and New York carried a 91-82 advantage into the fourth. Landry Shamet then hit three three-pointers in a 99-second span to stretch the margin to 105-94 and blunt Cleveland’s late push. ### Where did Towns fit in if Brunson had the headline number? (nba.com) Towns’ line was not the biggest scoring total, but his all-around stat line stood out in 36 minutes. The NBA box score credited him with 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals, one block and no turnovers, along with the best plus-minus in the game at plus-23. (nba.com) Yahoo Sports’ live game coverage also listed Towns with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while noting the Knicks had four players in double figures. Brunson led all scorers with 30 points, while Bridges shot 11-for-15 and Anunoby went 6-for-10. (nba.com) ### How unusual is this run for the Knicks? The Knicks have won 10 straight playoff games, NBA.com said in its game recap. The league site said New York became the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight during a postseason run, and said the last team to do it was the 2024 Boston Celtics. NBA.com also said all but one of New York’s playoff wins in this stretch have come by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 22.5 points. (sports.yahoo.com) The same recap identified the stakes clearly: a Game 4 win would send the Knicks to their first Finals since 1999. ### What did Cleveland get, and where did it fall short? Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and Evan Mobley added 24 for Cleveland, while Jarrett Allen had 17 points and seven rebounds. (nba.com) James Harden finished with 19 points and five assists. Cleveland shot 12-for-41 from three-point range and 12-for-19 from the foul line, numbers that trailed New York’s efficiency in both categories. The Cavaliers also committed 17 turnovers to New York’s 14, and Mitchell and Harden combined for 11 of them. Cleveland never led, according to the NBA recap. ### When can the Knicks finish the series? Game 4 is scheduled for Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET in Cleveland, according to NBA.com’s series page. NBA.com’s playoff schedule lists Game 5 on May 27, Game 6 on May 29 and Game 7 on May 31 if necessary. (nba.com)