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Bench Press: Knicks Show Hart, Prevail Over Cavs in Game 1
The respective newcomers to the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers proved well worth their massive price tags in the opener of their first-round NBA playoff series.
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson once again lived up to the $104 million contract earned over the summer to the tune of scoring 21 of his team-best 27 points in the second half and his February arrival Josh Hart had 17 off the bench, which was just enough to secure a 101-97 victory to take a 1-0 series lead. Former New York target Donovan Mitchell carried the offensive load for the hosting Cavs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with 38 points in defeat.
Back in the postseason after a one-year absence, the Knicks showed how exactly how much things have changed in a year ... and less ... with a performance that showed off their depth. Brunson was a non-factor in the early going due to three first half fouls that planted him on the bench. His teammates treated him to a show while he sat, building a lead that ran as high as 12 before halftime.
Fellow franchise face Julius Randle, back on hardwood for the first time since a late March ankle injury cost him the final five games of the regular season, scored 17 points in the first half, hitting 6-of-10 from the floor. Hart and Immanuel Quickley helped simulate a Brunson-led pace to the game, allowing the Knicks to escape with a five-point lead after 24.
Cleveland cracked down on Randle, who sank only one of 10 more the rest of the way, but Brunson took full advantage of his minutes once granted re-entry. Simply put, there was hardly a reason to take Brunson out of the affair, rest notwithstanding, in the second half, as he was not charged with any fouls in the second half. The premier backcourt leader helped the Knicks pull away from a 58-all tie established just before the midway mark of the third, playing a role in all but eight of 28 points scored in the third quarter. Of that tally, Brunson hit a dozen by himself, passed three assists, and turned a steal into an Obi Toppin dunk.
In the fourth, the Knicks held a consistent lead, one that flirted in double-figure territory. But a clutch Cleveland shot, almost always sunk by Mitchell, made sure viewers couldn't walk away. The Cavs even took a 93-92 lead when Jarrett Allen put back Mitchell's missed floater to cap off an alarmingly quick 9-0 run over a 122-second stretch. That misfire from Mitchell was more than forgivable, as the first seven of that stretch came from his hands via five points and a steal from a cutting Brunson that led to an open drunk for Cedi Osman.
But a late boost of playoff heart came from the most appropriately-named Knick of them all.
Partaking in his first playoff game after 372 regular season appearances, Hart (Brunson's collegiate teammate at Villanova) sank a clutch triple on a hobbled ankle on the very next possession after coming up limp in an attempt to stop Allen's putback. A rebound on another Mitchell miss led to a foul and a Brunson jumper that sealed a permanent Knicks lead. Cleveland had one more chance to go for a tie or winner when they were down two with 31 seconds left, but Randle's clutch offensive rebound off a futile Brunson sealer not only secured his double-double but the chance to get the ball to Quentin Grimes, who created the final margin via free throws with just over four seconds left.
Hart's first postseason game likewise featured a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards, the latter portion part of a 51-38 advantage despite 25 alone coming from Allen and Evan Mobley. Darius Garland was among the other Cleveland standouts with 17 points and four steals but he was responsible for half of eight turnovers lost over the first 24 minutes that prevented the Cavs from taking advantage of a dormant Brunson. Saturday marked Cleveland's first postseason appearance since the last stanza of the 2018 NBA Finals against Golden State.
Armed with the 1-0 series advantage, the Knicks have the lead in a postseason series since they clinched a six-game victory over Boston in 2013's opening round. In another milestone, the Knicks also won a Game 1 road game for the first time since the victorious 1999 Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana.
Game 2 of the series will return to Cleveland on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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