New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds, Picks & Predictions - Game 3 05/23
The NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals continue, albeit with a change of venue as the third-seeded New York Knicks take on the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of their best of seven series Saturday night and we have you covered with our Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction. New York staged an epic rally to take Game 1 as they earned a 115-104 overtime win at home Tuesday night. The Knicks covered the line as a 5.5-point favorite in the contest. New York took care of business in Game 2, winning 109-93 at home Thursday night. The Knicks covered the line as 5.5-point favorites.
In the all-time playoff series between the teams, New York has won each of the four previous series. The Knicks own a 14-2 advantage in head-to-head playoff victories. Let’s break down this Cavaliers vs. Knicks matchup.
Knicks Seek to Stay Sizzling in the Postseason
New York shook off a sluggish start to roll past Cleveland in Game 2 of this series at home. The Knicks won their ninth straight playoff game and own a 2-0 series advantage as a result. In Game 2, New York trailed by as many as six in the opening quarter and by three after 12 minutes. The Knicks led by four at the half. After seeing the game tied at 53, New York ripped off an 18-0 run to go up 71-53. New York never let the Cavaliers closer than seven the rest of the way. Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points plus seven assists, leading the Knicks in the win.
In the postseason, the Knicks are 2nd in the league in scoring offense with 119 points per contest entering this game. New York is 4th in the league in rebounding as they collect 44.5 rebounds per game. They are 3rd in the league in assists by dishing out 26.2 dimes per contest. The Knicks are 1st in the league in scoring defense by allowing 100.6 points per contest. Jalen Brunson (27.6 points, 6.8 assists) is the team’s leading scorer. OG Anunoby (19.8 points, 6.9 rebounds) and Karl-Anthony Towns (17.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, six assists) provide a good secondary punch for the Knicks in the playoffs.
New York is 1st in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 51.4% from the floor as a team. The Knicks are 3rd in the league in threes per game as they knock down 12.8 triples a night. They are 1st in three-point shooting by hitting 39.6% of their attempts from beyond the arc. New York is mediocre at the charity stripe, ranking 11th in the league by cashing in 74.4% of their attempts.
Key Injury Report for Knicks:
- No Key Injuries.
Cavaliers Hope Return Home Gets Them Going
Cleveland, still reeling from their Game 1 meltdown, couldn’t get themselves in gear Thursday night. The Cavaliers dropped to 2-7 on the road in the postseason and trail 2-0 in the series at this point. In Game 2, Cleveland led 13-7 just over five minutes into the game and led by three at the end of one quarter. The Cavaliers trailed by four at the half. They clawed back to even less than 90 seconds into the second half. At that point, the wheels came off as Cleveland was scoreless for the next 5:32 as the Knicks scored 18 unanswered points. They never got closer than seven after that as they went down in defeat. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 26 points in a losing effort.
The Cavaliers come into this one ranked 5th in the league in scoring offense as they put up an average of 108.9 points per game this postseason. Cleveland is 6th in rebounding as they grab 41.9 boards per contest and stand 12th in assists by handing out 21.7 dimes a contest this postseason. The Cavaliers are 9th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 109.2 points per game this season. Donovan Mitchell leads the way in the scoring department for Cleveland as he puts up 25.9 points plus 5.1 rebounds a night on the year. James Harden (19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists) and Evan Mobley (16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds) are solid secondary options.
Cleveland is 6th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 45.6% from the floor as a team in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are 6th as they knock down an average of 12.6 three-pointers a night. They are 11th by draining 33.4% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Cleveland is below average at the charity stripe as they rank 12th by shooting 73.9% from the line as a team.
Key Injury Report for Cavaliers:
- Larry Nance Jr. (illness) is questionable.
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Cleveland blew their chances in Game 1 and gave up a big second half run to lose Game 2. The Cavaliers are 6-1 at home in the playoffs but they did drop their most recent home contest. That came in Game 6 against the Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Meanwhile, New York has won nine straight playoff games, eight of which came by double figures. The Knicks are rolling right now. We've seen that the venue hasn’t been a factor as they’ve won at home in addition to the road. Until Cleveland beats them, roll with the Knickerbockers as they make it 10 straight playoff wins.
Our Prediction: Knicks +2.5 (DraftKings, -110)
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