Jason Burgos
While the New York Knicks did not get the results they were hoping for in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a long-time insider, and analyst for the team believes there are major reasons to believe they can take a 2-1 series lead in Game 3.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the court on Friday night for the third game in their NBA Playoffs series. After a big victory that took back home-court advantage on Saturday, the Cavs punched back on Tuesday and evened the best-of-seven at a game a piece.
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There are reasons for Cleveland to feel confident heading into Friday night. They are the higher seed and have one of the most efficient defenses and offenses in the league. However, they will be entering the hornet’s nest that is Madison Square Garden, and a crowd that is sure to be loud in their support of the Knicks.
New York Knicks record (’22-’23): 47-35
For the New York Knicks, there is also reason to feel confident after their Game 3 defeat, as ESPN analyst and Knicks insider Alan Hahn explained during a Thursday appearance on the league’s Sirius/XM station.
“From the Knicks’ perspective, they didn’t play well in either game. Their offense looked terrible in both games. They had uncharacteristic turnovers. They’re not a high-turnover team and in both games they averaged 17 turnovers and gave up a lot of points off turnovers. They haven’t played well and they still came away with a split.
” … From a Knicks perspective I’m thinking they had to punch back, they had to win that game. They played desperate and they got the win. We haven’t played well yet and we’re going home. That’s why you feel good. I haven’t seen the Knicks play the way they’ve played all season in this series. So that’s your hope on that end. I think in Game 3, if both teams bring it, it’s going to be an epic game.”
– Alan Hahn
Game 3 of the New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night kicks off at 8:30 PM ET on ABC.
