The pressure is on the shoulders of Riders in this Game 4, because they have to win so as not to return home at 1-3 and play their season in one game. But at the end of a completely mastered Game 3, the Knicks can present themselves with serenity on the boards of a supercharged Madison Square Garden.
This was seen from the start of the game, and generally throughout it, both the players of new York controlled and raced in the lead, in the wake of Jalen Brunson (29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), RJ Barrett (26 points) or Josh Hart (19 points, 7 rebounds).
Despite a burst of pride signed Darius Garland (23 points, 10 assists) after the break, Cleveland bites the dust again far from Ohio and now finds itself back to the wall, with three days to relaunch itself tactically and try to reverse this badly started series, during which everything seems to be turning in favor of New Yorkers.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— New York plays in an armchair. What else to say, except that the Knicks are a step above the Cavaliers (if not several) so far? Intensity, energy, combat, effort… Absolutely everything goes in the direction of Tom Thibodeau’s men, very rarely worried by those of JB Bickerstaff, who are physically struggling. This is felt on the rebound, in defense and in the racket, but also on ball losses, when Cleveland players give the impression of exploding on each contact. In total control, the New Yorkers unfold under the impetus of Jalen Brunson and it’s just great to watch.
— Darius Garland breathed new life into Cleveland. Like almost all of his team, the Cavaliers point guard was completely off the mark in the first half. Except that the passage to the locker room allowed him to clear his head and come back with a completely different face. Involved in 22 of the Cavs’ first 24 points in the third quarter, Garland changed the face of this meeting in just five minutes. Between scoring and creation, he cut the defense of New York with ease, being untenable on “pick-and-roll” to mark or serve his interiors. But that wasn’t even enough…
— Cleveland remains stubborn (and devoured) tactically. What’s glaring about this series is how the Knicks, and Tom Thibodeau, teach the Cavaliers, and JB Bickerstaff a lesson in tactical adjustment. Defensively, we do not understand why Darius Garland is brought to hold Jalen Brunson, while Caris LeVert or Isaac Okoro are doing better and LeVert takes the water against RJ Barrett. We also do not understand why the “small ball” is used by the Cavs, when they suffer on the rebound and players like Lamar Stevens or Dean Wade could help, coming off the bench. But nothing changes…
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ The Brunson-Barrett-Hart Trio. Difficult to retain one player more than another in this triplet, as Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Josh Hart were a hit and took turns to feed their team’s scoring, set the tone in defense or set an example at the level intensity. Unlike some members of the Cavaliers, the three New Yorkers have indeed activated the playoffs mode and it shows when we see them “getting high” and leaving their guts on the floor. Better still, they prove decisive in the “money time” to guide the Knicks when they are more in the hard.
⛔ Donovan Mitchell. Horrible evening than that experienced by “Spida” at Madison Square Garden: 11 points and 6 bullet losses, 5/18 in shooting. Unable to set the target in this part, especially in the second half (2 points, 1/9 on the shot), he certainly delivered one of his worst games of the season when his team needed it the most. from him. His start to the match was not to be thrown away, but the two opposing shots disrupted his shooting or his decision-making with the ball and, over the minutes, he completely died out, while Darius Garland took the keys to the Cavs game. Rebound expected, from Wednesday.
⛔ Julius Randle. The other All-Star of the game missed it, but unlike Donovan Mitchell, Randle (7 points and 2 rebounds, 3/10 in shooting including 0/4 at 3-points) been able to count on sufficiently productive and inspired teammates not to weigh down his team too much. Nevertheless, Tom Thibodeau, as a good tactician, had no trouble doing without him in the fourth quarter, to leave Isaiah Hartenstein on the floor and surf on the dynamics found by his five. The last few minutes proved him right…
THE FOLLOWING
Game 5but in Cleveland, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday (01:00).
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
