Knicks Take Series Lead After Cavs Shooting Struggles

Mitchell's big comeback effort sparked an exciting finish, but the Knicks ultimately prevailed, 101-97.

Tommy Wild | Apr 15, 2023

Knicks Take Series Lead After Cavs Shooting Struggles /

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This series didn't start how the Cleveland Cavaliers would've liked it too after the New York Knicks defeated them in game one.

There's a lot to get into with this one, but Cleveland just couldn't find a way to close it out. The Cavs only led for 2:40 throughout the entire game, while the Knicks played from out front for more than 41 minutes.

Cleveland did not shoot well from the field at all. They finished shooting 43 percent from the field and were just 10-for-31 from behind the arc. That's not a great recipe for success in a playoff game.

Despite this poor shooting performance, Cleveland still found itself hanging in there right until the end. They only lost by four points and were one rebound away in the final 10 seconds from having a real chance to tie it or take the lead.

The Cavs struggled to contain Julius Randle all night. He was questionable leading up to the series, but put on a show in Game 1. He finished with 19 points and 10 huge rebounds.

Jalen Brunson also torched Cleveland's desire playing just 29 minutes after getting into foul trouble early. He scored 27 points and was an efficient 49 percent from the floor.

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland led the way for Cavs with 38 points and 17 points respectively. Jarrett Allen also played solid scoring 14 and grabbing 14 big rebounds.

This was a disappointing loss for the Cavs, but there's still a lot of series to be played and they'll need to bounce back in Game 2.

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