The Cavaliers Need To Do This To Extend Series With Knicks
The Cleveland Cavaliers may watch their season come to an end on Wednesday night in Game 5 as the New York Knicks are one win away from moving on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Obviously, Cleveland wants to force a Game 6 and beyond but it's going to take a lot of work to get there. J.B. Bickerstaff said the team needs to take it one game at a time so we're going to do just that.
This is what the Cavs need to do to win Game 5 and stay alive in this series.
LeVert Stays Hot
There was a legitimate question about whether or not Caris LeVert would be on Cleveland's roster after the trade deadline. Now we're talking about being the most consistent Cavalier in the opening round of the playoffs.
LeVert struggled a lot in Game 1, but completely turned it around and found himself in the starting rotation. He's averaging 14.5 points per game with a shooting percentage of 42 percent.
If Cleveland's going to win Game 5 they're going to need this same LeVert to show up and give them his all.
Donovan Mitchell 40-Piece
Donovan Mitchell being held to just 11 points in a playoff game is something that seemed impossible before Sunday. But as the Cavs fell to 3-1, Mitchell barely scored in double digits.
He was very blunt with his performance after Game 4 and said, "I played like s---." If the Cavs want this series to carry on they're going to need a vintage Donovan Mitchell 40-point game, especially if Cleveland's defense continues to struggle.
Be The Best Defense In The NBA
The Cavs held the NBA's best defensive rating during the regular season with many naming the best defense in the league. That hasn't been the case in this series though.
Jalen Brunson is caring up Cleveland and establishing himself as the best player in the series. Clevland needs to prove they are in fact an elite defense in Game 5.
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