CLEVELAND — Jalen Brunson is a three-time All-Star and one of the premier point guards in the sport. He now stands one win away from becoming a Big Apple basketball legend.
The New York Knicks lead the Eastern Conference finals over the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-0, giving them an opportunity to advance to the NBA Finals with a road victory on Monday night.
The Knicks have won a franchise-record 10 consecutive playoff games by an average of 22.5 points. If they make it 11 straight, Brunson will accomplish a goal that he has had “since I signed” with New York in 2022.
“Jalen is the MVP,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He’s an MVP candidate and he continues to do what he has to do night after night.”
Brunson has averaged 29.0 points and 8.7 assists in the first three games while playing a series-high 128 minutes. The eighth-year pro added another accolade Sunday, when he was named to the All-NBA second team, along with Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers.
His focus, though, is all on Game 4 — and potentially beyond — as third-seeded New York seeks its first East crown since 1999.
“I don’t want to consider us peaking at this moment,” said Brunson, whose 27.8 scoring average ranks third in the league this postseason. “But I haven’t really had the time to wonder where we are as a team. All I focus on is how can we get better from the day before.”
Shooting guard Mikal Bridges has also taken his game to a new level during the Knicks’ playoff run, averaging 19.1 points and shooting 69.1% from the field and 47.6% on 3-pointers over his last eight games.
The league’s active ironman has made Cleveland pay when it double-teams Brunson or center Karl-Anthony Towns, making 27 of 38 field goal attempts (71.1%) and averaging 19.7 points in the series.
“I’m so close with a lot of guys on this team,” Bridges said. “Just them being there and knowing that I want to play better. And especially to help the team win. They want that too.”
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers just want to win, period, and avoid being swept in a series for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. That also was the last time they advanced to the East finals until this season.
Cleveland squandered a 22-point lead in the final 7:52 of regulation in Game 1, then collapsed in overtime for a 115-104 loss. The Cavs haven’t recovered from it, dropping Game 2 by a 109-93 margin and never leading in a 121-108 defeat in Game 3.
Instead of winning the opener on Sam Merrill’s wide-open 3-point attempt, the Cavaliers have looked exhausted since his shot bounced off the rim. Cleveland has played every other day since April 29; playing the maximum seven games in its first two series has clearly taken a physical toll.
“We know if you lose, you’re done, but we’ve got to let that thing go and go play,” Merrill said. “Obviously, let’s make the adjustments and clean up what we need to. And let’s go play with full belief that we’re going to get a win.”
Shooting guard Mitchell has done his part, averaging 26.0 points and 39.3 minutes, but point guard James Harden has yet to play well against New York. “The Beard” is shooting just 41.3% from the field and is making a dismal 22.7% of his 3-point tries.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson is contemplating a lineup change to spark his club by moving small forward Dean Wade to the bench, but there is no obvious replacement as Merrill and Max Strus are only making a combined 29.3% of their field goal attempts.
No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series.
“They’re the more energetic team and we’re a count, maybe two counts, behind at times,” Atkinson said. “We’re missing shots and transition breakdowns are getting them going.
“I don’t know. I don’t have an answer.”
–Brian Dulik, Field Level Media
