The Cavaliers return to Rocket Arena for Game 3 against the Knicks on Saturday, May 23, at 8:00 p.m. ET. The situation is direct. The Knicks lead 2-0. The Cavaliers need one home win to stop the series from moving into a dangerous place.
Game 2 was not close enough. The Knicks won 109-93, using an 18-0 run in the third quarter to break the game open. Josh Hart had 26 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Jalen Brunson had 19 points and 14 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds. Mikal Bridges had 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. The Knicks are now on a nine-game playoff winning streak.
The Cavaliers got 26 points from Donovan Mitchell and 18 from James Harden, but the offense was poor again. They shot 39.0% from the field and 26.0% from three. Evan Mobley scored 14 points in the first half, then did not score or attempt a shot in the second half. That cannot happen in Game 3.
Injury Report
Cavaliers
No players listed.
Knicks
No players listed.
Why The Cavaliers Have The Advantage
The Cavaliers have the home floor, and they need it. They are 6-1 at Rocket Arena this postseason, and this is their first chance to change the series rhythm. They already came back from 0-2 in the previous round, so this team has proof that it can respond.
The first Game 3 adjustment is offensive balance. Mitchell scored 26 points in Game 2, but he had only one assist. Harden scored 18, but the offense did not have enough flow. The Cavaliers need Mitchell and Harden to create shots for others, not only attack in isolation. If the Knicks can load up on the first action, the Cavaliers become easy to guard.
Mobley has to be used better. He had 14 points in the first half of Game 2, then zero points and zero shots in the second half. That is a major failure. Mobley has to touch the ball in the middle of the floor, attack switches, and punish help. If he is only a screener and rebounder, the Cavaliers lose one of their best advantages.
The shooting also has to improve. The Cavaliers’ bench shot 1-of-15 from three in Game 2. Mitchell and Max Strus were part of a group of top shooters that combined to go 3-of-21 from deep. That is not enough against a Knicks team that is playing with this much confidence.
The Cavaliers need more rim pressure. They generated 40.0% of their shots from three and 34.0% at the rim in Game 2, but did not convert enough. The shot selection was not terrible. The finishing and shooting were. Game 3 needs more force at the rim and fewer empty catch-and-shoot possessions.
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks have the better structure right now. They won Game 1 after coming back from 22 points down. They won Game 2 by 16. That shows two different things. They can steal a game late, and they can control a game early. That is a bad sign for the Cavaliers.
Brunson changed his role in Game 2. He did not need 35 points. He had 14 assists because the Cavaliers sent more attention at him, and he made the next pass. That is the problem. If the Cavaliers guard Brunson straight, he can score. If they send help, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby, and Towns get clean looks.
Hart was the biggest Game 2 swing. The Cavaliers helped off him, and he punished it with five threes. He finished with 26 points and seven assists. That changes Game 3 coverage. If the Cavaliers keep ignoring him, he can hurt them again. If they stay closer, Brunson gets more room.
The Knicks’ defense has also been strong. They have held opponents under 100 points six times this postseason, more than any other remaining team. Game 2 was another example. The Cavaliers scored only 93 points and had another long offensive drought in the third quarter.
The other advantage is confidence. The Knicks have won nine straight playoff games. They have the best point differential among all teams through 12 postseason games. That is not a small sample anymore. That is a team playing with control on both ends.
X-Factors
Evan Mobley is the Cavaliers’ main X-factor. He cannot disappear after halftime again. The Cavaliers need 18-22 points, strong rebounding, and better short-roll passing from him. If Mobley is active, the Knicks have to defend more than Mitchell and Harden.
Max Strus has to hit shots. The Knicks are shrinking the floor and forcing the Cavaliers’ role players to make open threes. Strus cannot be quiet again. The Cavaliers need at least three made threes from him to open driving lanes.
Josh Hart is the Knicks’ X-factor again. Game 2 changed because he punished the defensive game plan. If Hart gives the Knicks another 16-20 points with real playmaking, the Cavaliers will have to adjust coverage and open more space for Brunson.
OG Anunoby is another key piece. He had 14 points and three blocks in Game 2 and gives the Knicks a clean defensive matchup on bigger wings. His two-way value matters because the Cavaliers are trying to create size advantages with Mobley, Allen, and bigger lineups.
Prediction
The Cavaliers should be better at home. Mitchell will be aggressive, Harden should create more, and Mobley has to be involved after the Game 2 failure. A clean injury report helps too.
Still, the Knicks have been the better team by a clear margin. Their defense is better connected, their offense has more answers, and Brunson is controlling the matchup even when he is not scoring 30. The Cavaliers need a high-level shooting night to win. The Knicks only need their normal structure.
Prediction: Knicks 106, Cavaliers 101
