Recap Playoff Game 3 | Cavs Lose 79 – 99

Burn Everything, and Let’s Focus on Game 4

The New York Knicks convincingly defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-79 in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, with Allen Brunson leading the way with 21 points and six assists. RJ Barrett scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Josh Hart added 13 points and six rebounds. Julius Randle had a tough shooting night, going 3-of-15 but still managed to contribute 11 points and eight rebounds, along with Immanuel Quickley, who also scored 11 points.

Donovan Mitchell recorded 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for Cleveland, while Caris LeVert added 17 points. However, the Cavaliers struggled with shooting, making only 38.8 percent of their field goals, including a poor 7 of 33 (21.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Darius Garland scored 10 points on 4-of-21 shooting, while Evan Mobley had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Cleveland committed 21 turnovers in the game.

New York now leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday in New York. The Knicks bounced back from a 29-point deficit in their Game 2 loss and dominated Game 3, leading by as many as 27 points. They shot 47 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from the 3-point range.

Cleveland struggled in the opening quarter and only scored 32 points in the first half, shooting 31 percent from the field and 10.5 percent from beyond the arc. Although they showed some life in the third quarter and closed the gap, they could not mount a comeback in the fourth. New York’s Obi Toppin scored six points to start an 11-2 run that elevated the Knicks’ lead to 88-64 with 6:28 remaining. Ultimately, the Knicks took a 20-point victory to maintain their lead in the series.