Game 1 Belongs to New York!

  

             Written By: Spencer Teman, of Swish Tribune

             The Knicks march into Cleveland and take Game 1 away from the Cavs! My vision and hope for the Knicks to be successful in this series was to go into Cleveland and take at least 1 out of 2, that way they will have an advantage when heading back to MSG and they did just that.

             Just hours before the game, we had no idea if Julius Randle would suit up in this crucial game, but he did and was a huge impact for the Knicks. In fact, he sealed the game with the huge offensive rebound that lead to two made free throws to win the game. 

            The Knicks played a great game and did a great job in taking the crowd out of the game for most of it. They lead most of the game until the final two minutes when the Cavs took the lead by 1 but the Knicks did not look back.

            A huge Josh Hart three-pointer then a Jalen Brunson fadeaway were two huge baskets that contributed to this victory. Hart, Brunson, and Randle were the three most impactful players on the court the entire game, bringing a great impact on every single possession.

            One thing that I saw with the Knicks defense is that they took every Cavs player not named Donovan Mitchell out of the game in the second half. Mitchell filled up the stat sheet in the second half with 38 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals. This caused the Cavs to abuse Mitchell and the Cavs offense was a "one-man wrecking crew".

            Mitchell had to do it all himself and although he's a great player and one of the best performers in the playoffs, against a team like the Knicks, he cannot do it all himself. The Knicks recognized this as they limited Darius Garland and other notable Cavs players throughout the second half. 

            There were several players on the Knicks who did not have their best games and nowhere near their best games such as Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. The fact that these two essential pieces did not have good games and the Knicks still won is a very promising sign.

            Quickley has been the best 6th-man in the NBA this season and should definitely bounce back next game. RJ Barrett accounted for several highlights in this game, but what he did wrong caused a great impact and much commotion. He turned the ball over numerous times and was very inconsistent with three-pointers like he has been all season.

            When it comes to RJ Barrett, a lot of people are quick to jump that he sucks and is not built for New York, but in the end he's a 22-year-old who came into the NBA when he was 19 and is still averaging just under 20 points a game. Barrett has not been the best player as of late, but his time will come if he keeps working at it. 

            Without the addition of Josh Hart, the Knicks would not be nearly as successful as they are now. Hart brings it every single game on both ends of the floor and some of the most beneficial plays and ideas he makes for the team does not appear in the box score. He is the definition of "All gas, no breaks."

            The Knicks impressed the basketball world Saturday night and have now turned game 2 into a must-win for the Cavs. Although it is not a must-win for the Knicks anymore, it would be nice to head to NYC up 2-0 in the series. Can you New York Knicks basketball make a comeback? New York is certainly hear and not leaving anytime soon!