Jalen Brunson scored 23 factors and the New York Knicks superior previous the opening spherical of the playoffs for the primary time since 2013, closing out the host Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday with a 106-95 victory in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference sequence.
Fifth-seeded New York by no means trailed and constructed a bonus of as many as 18 factors, flexing its defensive muscle and dominance on the glass. The Knicks held the Cavaliers to fewer than 100 factors for the fourth time within the sequence, and New York gained all of these video games.
The Knicks advance to oppose the winner of the sequence between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks.
New York loved a 48-30 rebounding edge with Mitchell Robinson flattening 18 boards, 11 of them on the offensive finish. The Knicks posted an amazing 20-3 benefit in second-chance factors.
Robinson additionally scored 13 factors to file a double-double. He was considered one of six Knicks to complete in double-figure scoring, becoming a member of Brunson, RJ Barrett with 21 factors, Julius Randle with 13 factors and Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin with 19 and 12 factors, respectively, off the bench.
Randle dished a game-high six assists, and Josh Hart contributed to New York’s rebounding effort with 12 boards.
Fourth-seeded Cleveland made a fourth-quarter push to tug inside a 90-84 deficit with 8:10 remaining. Darius Garland scored seven of the Cavaliers’ factors in succession in the course of the rally en path to 21 factors.
The Knicks answered Cleveland’s surge with a fast 6-0 burst that was half of a bigger 10-2 run.
The Cavaliers pulled again to inside seven with 73 seconds remaining when Donovan Mitchell knocked down a 3-pointer, a part of his game-high 28 factors. However, Quickley sank 4 consecutive free throws to successfully put the sport — and sequence — away.
Caris LeVert scored 17 factors for Cleveland, and reserve Isaac Okoro added 10 factors. Evan Mobley had a team-high 9 rebounds.
While the playoff look was the Cavaliers’ first since 2018, the opening-round exit was the franchise’s first since 1998.
—Field Level Media/Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
