After two dominating performances at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks have a 3-1 series lead over the Cavaliers entering Game 5 on Wednesday in Cleveland. All that the Knicks need to do is win one of the next three games to advance to the second round. The series could end at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in a matter of hours, but if not, New York fans don’t need to worry too much.
Yes, the Cavaliers have come back from a 3-1 deficit before in the 2016 NBA Finals, but history is on the Knicks’ side. Counting that championship Cleveland squad, only 12 other teams have won the series after being down 3-1. Also, teams that face that deficit have a 4.8 percent chance to win, meaning that New York has a 95.2 percent chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Jalen Brunson said after the Knicks’ Game 4 win that there wasn’t anything to celebrate yet because New York still hadn’t finished the job. That’s the right mindset for a player to have because although Donovan Mitchell struggled in Games 3 and 4, he’s notoriously performed well in the playoffs. With their backs against the wall, the Cavaliers now have nothing to lose.
Jalen Brunson shares the message he has for his teammates after today's win:
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 23, 2023
"It's not over and not even close to being over. There's nothing to celebrate and nothing to be truly happy about. But, obviously with today's win we are one step closer" pic.twitter.com/pwOxoMMHoj
Knicks have 95% chance of advancing to second round with 3-1 series lead over Cavaliers
In this case, Knicks fans should be rooting against another first-round playoff game at Madison Square Garden, because for that to happen, New York would have to lose in Game 5. It would be special to close out the series at MSG, but it’d be better for the Knicks to handle their business on the road.
The Knicks and the Cavaliers split the first two games of the series in Cleveland, 1-1. New York’s talents were on full display in Game 1, but Cleveland switched the script in Game 2 by making the necessary adjustments and rolling past the Knicks. The Cavaliers have the advantage of being back at their home court for Game 5 and away from MSG, where the energy levels were through the roof.
It won’t be the end of the world if New York doesn’t win Game 5 but what a statement win it would be for the Knicks to eliminate Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
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