New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Picks - NBA
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by Carlos Zabala | in NBA Picks
New Yorkers are excited to think the Knicks are closer than ever to winning their first NBA championship since 1973. They've taken an early lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning Game 1 115-104 in overtime. The series continues at Madison Square Garden in Game 2 on Thursday, where the Knicks are -6.5 favorites in the pregame odds.
The Cavs suffered a crushing defeat in Game 1, losing a game in which they led by 22 points with less than eight minutes remaining. Jalen Brunson contributed 38 points in what will be an iconic game, but he simply stated that his team only played "a good fourth quarter and overtime."
Cleveland is now looking weaker in this series, not just because they lost Game 1, but because this was their seventh playoff loss after playing two seven-game series against the Raptors and then the Pistons. Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points. The Cavaliers' star echoed Brunson's sentiments, saying his team played good basketball for three quarters.
The Knicks have made a habit of overcoming deficits of 20 or more points; they did it last year in the playoffs, and when they won their first championship in 1969-70, they also pulled off similar comebacks.
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New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Form
New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers Latest Matches
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New York Knicks against Cleveland Cavaliers : Head to Head (H2H)
67 %
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Players list
J. Hart
J. Brunson
K. Towns
O. Anunoby
M. Bridges
J. Harden
D. Mitchell
E. Mobley
Substitutes
M. McBride
T. Kolek
J. Alvarado
J. Clarkson
L. Shamet
M. Diawara
J. Sochan
P. Dadiet
D. Schroder
K. Ellis
C. Porter
S. Merrill
T. Proctor
J. Tyson
N. Tomlin
New York Knicks - Cleveland Cavaliers Key Points
- Game 1 saw a total of 40 turnovers between the two teams
- Game 1 had a total of 55 fouls
- The Knicks won Game 1 overtime 14-3
- Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds in Game 1
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Our New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
The New York crowd did its part on Tuesday, erupting with every basket the Knicks made in overtime, where they took a 9-0 lead. "Momentum" became the key word in post-game conversations as Mitchell encouraged his Cavs not to let the loss "kill their momentum," while Brunson urged them to carry on into Game 2 with the same energy they displayed in Game 1.
It's also true that for Cleveland, Harden had a game to forget: he went 1-for-8 from three-point range and committed six turnovers on his own.
Our prediction for Knicks vs Cavaliers is: Knicks -6.5.
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