The New York Knicks went the entire regular season without defeating the Detroit Pistons. Presumably, Detroit was the team New York had to beat to reach the NBA finals, but the Cleveland Cavaliers ended the possibility of that matchup.
In Game 7 of the conference semifinals on Sunday night, Donovan Mitchell’s 26 points and Cade Cunningham being held to just 13 were enough for the Cavaliers to eliminate the Pistons. Their second Game 7 victory of the postseason sets them up to face the Knicks in a rematch of the 2023 first round.
Three years ago, New York got the upper hand in five games, which kick-started their gradual upward climb towards the top of the East. Now, they remain the highest-seeded team left in the conference.
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers will begin the conference finals on the road against a Knicks team that has yet to lose in Game 1 on their home court of Madison Square Garden. Not to mention, Cleveland is entering the series on less than two days’ rest, while New York had had nine days off.
In that period, forward OG Anunoby was able to recover from a hamstring injury that took him out of action in Games 3 and 4 of the semifinal sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers. He is trending towards playing in Game 1, while his teammates took care of business in his absence.
Most notably, team captain Jalen Brunson has remained at the helm of the Knicks success, scoring more than 25 points in three out of the four games against the 76ers. His brilliance was on display in games two and three, when he led his team in consecutive come-from-behind victories.
Karl-Anthony Towns has held down the interior, posting 17 points in Game 4. In fact, the team has made the superstar big man their offensive focal point, allowing him to act as a facilitator, where he can be as effective passing the ball, as evidenced by his six or more assists in every game against the 76ers.
In place of Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart have stepped up, with both scoring in double figures in multiple semifinal contests. And when they are not on the court, Miles McBride can provide a spark on offense, which he uses to score 25 points and seven three-pointers in game four of the semifinals.
Three-point shooting and defense are where the Knicks have excelled the most. Against the 76ers, they made 25 of their 44 attempts from beyond the arc in that same game. Consequently, they held the 76ers to making eight of their 35 attempts, while limiting All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to under 25 points.
This strategy can pay dividends against the Cavaliers, who have used their scoring and defense to get the upper hand over the Toronto Raptors and Pistons. Mitchell has been at the forefront of their success, scoring more than 15 points in every playoff game thus far. Most notably, he scored 43 in game four of the semifinals, with 39 of his points coming in the second half alone.
Veteran guard James Harden has resurfaced as a scoring threat, capable of scoring in double figures on any given night.
Forward Evan Mobley, on the other hand, uses a combination of athleticism and agility to score points and force turnovers. He tallied more than 20 on four separate occasions and five blocks in game five of the semifinals. Big man Jarrett Allen rounds out their starting lineup, with his rebounding and scoring posing a constant threat for opposing defenders.
The Knicks enter the conference finals matchup as a slight favorite over the Cavaliers. In the regular season, New York got the better of Cleveland in the season opener and on Christmas Day. Their opponents made away with a win following the All-Star break.
But if the Knicks continue to play the way they have in the prior rounds, a trip to the NBA finals is in the realm of possibility. Yet, the same goes for the Cavaliers, who haven’t reached the finals since 2018 and won it all in 2016.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Knicks and Cavaliers is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 pm ET from Madison Square Garden.
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