The New York Knicks are on the verge of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 after a commanding 121-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night. Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 30 points, while Mikal Bridges contributed 22 points as the Knicks took a 3-0 series lead.
Knicks' Dominant Postseason Run
New York has now won 10 consecutive postseason games, becoming the seventh team in NBA history to achieve this feat. The last team to do so was the Boston Celtics during their 2024 championship run. The Knicks have won all but one of their playoff games by double digits, boasting an average margin of victory of 22.5 points.
"We've just have to keep our mind on the task at hand. The game is over and we found a way to win. We have to execute at a high level in Game 4," said Karl-Anthony Towns, who posted 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Key Performances
OG Anunoby added 21 points for New York, which led the entire game. The Knicks shot 55.8% from the field, including 11 three-pointers, and made 24 of 27 free throws. Evan Mobley scored 24 points for Cleveland, while Donovan Mitchell had 23 and James Harden added 19. The Cavaliers struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 12 of 41 three-point attempts, and made only 12 of 19 free throws.
Even a courtside appearance by Taylor Swift and Cleveland native Travis Kelce could not spark the Cavaliers. "I think their physicality and energy, we couldn't get to that level to combat it," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. "They're on a hell of a run. We haven't been able to stop the momentum."
Game Flow
The Knicks opened the game with a 9-1 run and led 37-27 after the first quarter. Cleveland rallied to tie the game at 50-50 on a Harden jumper, but New York answered with a 10-1 run and took a 60-54 lead into halftime. The Knicks extended their lead to 83-70 in the third quarter, fueled by a Brunson-led 8-1 run. New York led 91-82 entering the fourth quarter, where Landry Shamet hit three three-pointers in 99 seconds to push the lead to 105-94.
"Our guys were locked in from the beginning of the game and it showed from the first few minutes," Knicks coach Mike Brown said. "We got a lot of great contributions. I thought throughout the whole game we did a good job trying to play fast."
"It's the next-man-up mentality and the guys found me a few times. We knew we were going to get a real good punch from that team, and we weathered their best punches tonight," Shamet said.
Game 4 is Monday night in Cleveland, where the Knicks can complete a sweep and advance to the NBA Finals.
