All Knicks

Knicks vs. Cavaliers: 3 Stars From Game 4's Garden Party

Familiar faces rose to the occasion for the New York Knicks as they took a 3-1 series lead on the Cleveland Cavaliers in their NBA playoff series.

Geoff Magliocchetti

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Not all garden parties shut down traffic. Not all of them feature Spike Lee. Finally, not all such celebrations put you one step closer to an NBA title.

The New York Knicks are at the precipice of advancement in the NBA's Eastern Conference Playoffs, as a 102-93 victory on Sunday afternoon allowed them to take a 3-1 series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in their best-of-seven set. With one more win, the Knicks will win a playoff round for the first time since 2013, getting their first opportunity when the series moves back to Cleveland on Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).

Which Knicks stood out the most in Sunday's win?

Honorable Mentions

  • RJ Barrett: 26 points
  • Obi Toppin: 8 rebounds
  • Isaiah Hartenstein: 8 rebounds, 2 steals

3rd Star: Mitchell Robinson

12 points, 11 rebounds

It's perhaps easy for Robinson's name to get lost in the metropolitan fold thanks to their dedication to the deep ball, but he came up big for the Knicks in the paint. Perhaps that's expected when he's back in New York on a $60 million deal but perhaps nowhere in that deal did it say he had to outscore Donovan Mitchell in a playoff game. Robinson headlined the Knicks' 17-7 advantage on the offensive glass which helped indirectly create the final margin: in a nine-point win, New York beat out Cleveland 21-12 in second chance scoring. 

2nd Star: Jalen Brunson

29 points (5-of-8 three-pt. FG), 6 rebounds, 6 assists

Likewise working on a brand-new contract, his worth over $40 million more, Brunson is perhaps obligated to make lists such as these. Unlike Friday's Game 3, there were no dunks to speak of this time around but Sunday Brunson, by contrast, took care of things from the outside, including the clinching triple that put the Knicks up by double-figures with two minutes left. Despite putting the Knicks on relatively unprecedented ground, Brunson, the newly-crowned king of New York sports, isn't taking anything for granted.

"Don’t think about closing it out. Don’t think about closing it out at all,” Brunson said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “Just think of it like we’re going into a hostile environment. They’re going to play desperate, and we just have to be able to bring it.”

1st Star: Josh Hart

19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals

Overzealous Knicks fans taking in the team's recent victories could be advised to "act like (they've) been there before." Hart is doing so and then some in his maiden postseason voyage. Hart made his first start as a Knick on Sunday, moving into the opening five in place of the injured Quentin Grimes. He vindicated the faith of those who demanded to see him in the opening five with a standout defensive performance as well as contributing to the team's offensive showing. Call it Villanova-based synergy, but Hart is taking an identical approach to the rest of the series as Brunson.

"That’s a tough opponent, and we saw in Game 2, when we don’t bring it, how good they can be," Hart said in a report from Steve Popper of Newsday, referring to Cleveland's lone win in the series thus far. "We’re going into their home now, so they’re going to be ready. Obviously, the crowd’s going to be crazy. The atmosphere is going to be wild. But we just have to focus on getting better as a team, attention to detail, and focus on the task at hand.”

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Knicks? Click Here.

Follow AllKnicks.com on Twitter.

Published
Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

Home/News