The New York Knicks and their fanbase made Madison Square Garden seem like it was transported in time to the team’s heyday in the 1990s during a dominant 99-79 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3.
There was a great deal of anticipation from New York Knicks fans for the team’s matchup on Friday night. Over the last decade there have been too few postseason games in “The World’s Most Famous Arena” and their playoff run in 2020-2021 seemed to end all too soon.
That is why it was no surprise that the New York Knicks fanbase was ravenous from the outset of Game 3 against the Cavaliers as they screamed with exhilaration for every positive moment for the team. However, another constant throughout the night was their determination to motivate their team into being the better defensive squad.
For New York Knicks supporters that watched them during their run of consistent playoff trips during the 1990s, the defense was the hallmark of Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy’s teams. In Game 3, it truly felt like the savage crowd in MSG galvanized them into having one of the best defensive performances from any team in the league this season.
New York Knicks only team to limit opponents to fewer than 80 points this season
The New York Knicks didn’t make NBA history in Game 3 of their first-round series, however, they played some of the best defense any team has in 2022-2023. For starters, they limited the Cleveland Cavaliers — one of the most efficient offensive teams in the league — to just 32 points after two quarters. A shocking numbers in today’s defense-averse NBA.
While the Knicks only scored 99 — which is 14 points below the league average this season — their defense was so stout at times they still led at one point by as many as 27. In holding down the Cavaliers’ offense, only one player scored over 20 points (Donovan Mitchell’s 22), and just two players scored 15 or more over four quarters of NBA playoff action.
The New York Knicks did score 14 fewer than the league average of 113 points per game, however, Cleveland topped that by 20 when they managed just 79 points. What makes that all the more shocking is that the Cavaliers are now the only team in ’22-’23 — regular season and playoffs — to score less than 80 points.
Adding further insult to injury, the fourth-seed Cavs were so good this season on both ends of the floor that they were the only team to not lose a game by 20 or more. Well, that changed on Friday due to the New York defense and the absurd support from a rowdy crow in MSG.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson was asked about competing in front of this particular fanbase for the first time in a playoff atmosphere, and he kept it simple in his response because he was still in awe of how impressive they were.
“This place is unreal … I can’t really explain it but I am just happy they are the way they are.”
– Jalen Brunson to ESPN
Game 4 of the New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers goes down on Sunday afternoon at 1 PM ET on ABC.