Cavaliers Bench Deserves A Lot Of Credit For Game 2 Victory Over Knicks
The biggest difference between Game 1 and Game 2 for the Cleveland Cavaliers was the production from their bench. The Cavs' reserves were outscored by the New York Knicks' bench 37-14 in Game 1 and held a clear edge heading into Game 2.
J.B. Bickerstaff looked for a spark from Dean Wade, Ricky Rubio, Cedi Osman, and Caris LeVert, but none of them were able to give Cleveland what it needed to come away with a victory.
However, this role completed shifted in Game 2 with the Cavs outscoring New York's bench 36-28 in Cleveland's blowout win to tie up the series. LeVert led the way off the bench with 24 points, three assists, and some elite defense on Jalen Brunson.
Cedi and Danny Green also knocked down a couple of threes as well providing a much-needed spark.
It takes a lot of heart for a unit to out and plays this well after being criticized by the media, fans, and even their own head coach. But this team didn't make any excuses after Game 1, made the adjustments they needed to, and executed their game plan.
In the end, LeVert finished with 24 points, Cedi with five, and Green with three. However, Cedi and Green's ability to space the floor shouldn't be understated.
It will be interesting to see how Bickerstaff designs his lineups after this performance from the bench. Will someone like Isaac Okoro see more playing time? Will LeVert be slotted into the starting lineup?
We'll just have to wait and see.
The Cavs and Knicks are tied at one game each, but nothing will get easier from here. Cleveland travels to Madison Square Garden to play Game 3 of this intense series on Friday night.
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