Knicks beat Cavaliers to reach brink of NBA Finals
The New York Knicks are on the verge of playing in their first NBA Finals since 1999 after a 121-108 victory in Cleveland on Saturday extended their playoff winning streak to 10 games.
Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 30 points, OG Anunoby added 21 and Mikal Bridges contributed 22 on 11-of-15 shooting as New York pushed the Cavaliers to the brink of elimination.
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“I’m at a loss for words,” Brunson said. “I thought we fought, most importantly.”
The Knicks took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals and could complete a sweep in Game 4 Monday in Cleveland.
No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.
“The series is not over,” Anunoby said. “Just keep our foot on their neck and just try to win the game.”
Brunson said the Knicks need to continue to focus.
“Just focus on one possession at a time,” Brunson said.
“The way we have this mindset the last few weeks, we have to continue or even better.”
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The Knicks last reached the NBA Finals 27 years ago, when they lost to San Antonio. They haven’t won the NBA championship since 1973.
New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns had 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals while Josh Hart added 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals for a Knicks team that hasn’t been beaten in a month.
“Our mindset hasn’t changed,” Brunson said.
“We try to improve every day. We try to learn from our victories.
“There’s a lot of things we can get better at. There’s a lot of things we can control, a lot of mental mistakes we have to clean up, but we’re always just looking for ways to try to get better.”
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Evan Mobley led Cleveland with 24 points while Donovan Mitchell added 23 and James Harden scored 19 points.
The Cavaliers, who squandered a 22-point lead to lose the series opener, never led as New York took command early and dominated.
“I guess you could say the momentum was carried over (from the first game),” Anunoby said.
“We try to play the right way every game, but maybe that momentum carries over a little bit.”
New York started the game 10 of 13 from the floor to take a 29-19 lead just 8:29 into the game, with Towns dishing out 11 points in the run en route to a 37-27 lead after the first quarter.
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Cleveland cut New York’s halftime advantage to 60-54, but the Cavs committed six turnovers in the first six minutes of the third quarter.
The Knicks led 91-82 early in the fourth quarter and stretched it 110-93 in the final minutes before securing their fifth straight road triumph.
“It’s just about executing the game plan on both ends of the floor, playing the right way, moving the ball and then making stops on defense,” Anunoby said of the secret to New York’s success.
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