Mitchell had a rare bad game in New York City, he will turn that around in game 4. Frankly, if the Cavs are going to win, he’s going to have to carry this club at times. Mitchell’s playing average is not an option.
When a team is pressed in a series with a road game looming, this is when you need a veteran to come in and settle the game down. Enter Danny Green.
The Cavs are an elite defensive club, metrically. With that in mind, they will find a way to keep Brunson and Randle below 20 at the Garden.
Game 3 was historically bad for our Cavaliers. On Friday, the bad offense dictated the overall bad play on the floor. It is hard even to reference another game to compare it.
In the first game of this series, the New York Knicks (49-36, 46-35-4 ATS) narrowly won 101-97. However, in the following two games, the teams had blowout victories, with the Cleveland Cavaliers (52-33, 43-38-4 ATS) taking game two and the Knicks taking a 2-1 lead after game three, which was a slow start with both teams tied at 17 points in the first quarter. The Knicks’ offense woke up, and they finished the first half with a 45-32 lead. They eventually widened the lead to 27 points, leading both teams to substitute their players in preparation for game four, which will take place on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. EDT at Madison Square Garden.
This will be the second consecutive game in this series to be held at the NBA’s most passionate fanbase. Cleveland can easily respond in this game. At the same time, it’s hard to have faith in their offense, especially on the road. Their spacing feels limited because of their big men, the root of their defense, and they haven’t consistently taken advantage of the open looks they create. The Cavs are also playing fairly carelessly with the ball. New York hasn’t tinkered with their lineup, while Cleveland has already swapped starting Okoro for LeVert in search of more offense. The Knicks have gotten three subpar performances from their leading scorer, Julius Randle, and took two games. A player to watch on the Cavs is Evan Mobley. He is doing a good job defensively, but his offense has been equally as bad. Mobley needs to turn the corner on the offensive side of the ball, like today in game 4. A lot has been said about JB’s coaching methods, but he could have put LeBron in the game, and the Cavs would have still lost by double digits on Friday night. The loss in game 3 is on the players, but with that said, Bickerstaff needs to help his young team find confidence on the road today. Finally, LeVert should start over Okoro, as he is playing far better currently. Okoro is a liability with anything over twelve minutes in a game.
If the Cavs lose, yes, they are still alive, but the mountain to climb over will be a big huge mountain. The Cavs need to win this game for mental mindset.
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