Jason Burgos
A new report quiets the fears of New York Knicks fans that rust from their long layoff before the Eastern Conference Finals will lead to struggles in Game 1 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There is a ton of hope and excitement surrounding the Knicks right now. On Tuesday night, they will begin their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Cavaliers at home and as favorites. Due to their outstanding play over the last couple of weeks, this may be the franchise’s best chance at winning an NBA title in decades.
However, there are some among their fanbase and basketball experts who wonder if not playing since May 10 will have an effect. The question has restarted the debate of rust versus rest and how it relates to the Knicks, because the extra days off will certainly give talented forward OG Anunoby a better chance to return to the floor after suffering a hamstring strain in Game 2 of the semifinals.
Well, on Tuesday afternoon, Sportico data expert Lev Akabas looked to end the debate. He ran through the numbers recently and, in a new X post, revealed some interesting details. According to Akabas, since 1984, teams that had five or more days of rest, while their opponents had one, were 42-23 in Game 1s of playoff series. Furthermore, they were 48-17 in those series.
When it comes to teams with five or more days off, and at home against an opponent with one day off between series, those teams went 33-9 in Game 1s. Those teams also had a 39-3 record in the series that started with those unique parameters.
While it may not quell the fears of the most worrisome Knicks fans, the data should give most of them reason to feel very confident about Game 1 tonight. Beyond just how well their team has played over the last two weeks.
