The New York Knicks are halfway to their first NBA Finals since 1999. After taking a 2-0 lead on the strength of two dominant second-half performances over the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden, the teams head to Cleveland for Saturday night's Game 3 at 8 p.m. ET.
Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points to go with seven assists, and Jalen Brunson added 19 points and 14 assists as the Knicks used an 18-0 run early in the third quarter to propel them to a 109-93 victory on Thursday.
Mikal Bridges had 19 points, followed by Karl-Anthony Towns with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and OG Anunoby with 14 points as the Knicks shot 52% (44 for 85) from the field, including 36% (13 for 36) from beyond the arc. Hart individually shot 5-for-11 from 3-point land.
Donovan Mitchell again led the Cavaliers in scoring, this time with 26 points. James Harden added 18 points, followed by Evan Mobley with 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Jarrett Allen with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Cleveland had a rough night shooting, making just 39% (31 for 80) from the field, including 26% (9 for 35) from long range. Both teams shot less than 70% from the free-throw line.
The Knicks have now won nine straight, and Cleveland, which was in this exact same position against Detroit in the last round, again has its back against the wall.
Can the Cavaliers, who are 6-1 at home in the NBA Playoffs, respond in front of their home crowd, or will New York take another step towards the finals?
Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game 3 betting picks and predictions
New York Knicks +2.5 (-115)
Despite taking a 2-0 series lead, the Knicks are 2.5-point underdogs tonight on the road. New York has gone 8-1 against the spread during its nine-game winning streak, including covers in both of the games in this series.
Cleveland has gone 6-1 at home in the playoffs and has won 10 of 11 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse overall. That confidence at home will be critical, as will its recent experience overcoming a 2-0 deficit.
However, even though Cleveland took 4 of the last 5 games to shock top-seeded Detroit, it did lose Game 6 at home. The Knicks are coming in flying high on confidence and have won 6 of their last 7 on the road, including four straight.
Although New York is just 3-6 against the spread in its last 9 meetings with Cleveland, it has gone 2-0 ATS in this series. The Knicks have taken 4 of 5 from Cleveland, and obviously have the momentum going into tonight’s contest.
If Cleveland is to take one back tonight, it needs to improve in several areas beyond solving its shooting woes. The team got just 19 points from its bench on Thursday, and had just 15 assists. Conversely, New York had 32 assists, led by Brunson’s playoff career-high 14.
Cleveland can easily cut this deficit in half tonight, but it won’t. The Knicks are on a heater and should win their 10th straight tonight.
Under 214.0 Total Points (-110)
These teams have played to the under in 7 of their last 8 meetings in Cleveland.
Although both have played to the over more often in the playoffs, Thursday’s 202-point total fits their recent matchup history, as the teams have played to the under 13 times in their previous 17 meetings. Take the under tonight.
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Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game 3 odds
Knicks | +115 |
Cavaliers | -135 |
Spread | Cavaliers -2.5 |
Total Points | O/U 214.0 |
Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game 3 player props
Player Points
Jalen Brunson (Knicks) | O/U 27.5 |
Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) | O/U 16.5 |
OG Anunoby (Knicks) | O/U 14.5 |
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) | O/U 27.5 |
James Harden (Cavaliers) | O/U 18.5 |
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers) | O/U 15.5 |
Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game 3 team news
Knicks
The Knicks again have their full roster available for Game 3. Anunoby played another 32 minutes in Game 2. Any lingering effects from injuries that kept him out of earlier playoff games are gone.
Cavaliers
The Cavaliers similarly have no injury concerns going into Saturday's crucial game.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
