Knicks Suddenly Look the Part of East Spoilers in NBA Playoffs and Beyond
CLEVELAND — The NBA playoff picture is full of heavyweights, both in superstars and teams who are either recent champions or on the brink of breaking through.
While they've long been outside of it all, we may soon need to add the New York Knicks into the ring.
"They hit first, and we didn't hit back," Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland said of his team's 101-97 home loss to the Knicks in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Even after finishing eighth overall offensively in the regular season, no Cavs player outside of Donovan Mitchell could do anything against a stifling Knicks defense.
Jalen Brunson resumed his role of playoff hero. Julius Randle returned from an ankle injury to drop 19 points, and Josh Hart put up 17 points and grabbed 10 boards off the bench in his first-ever playoff game.
"This is a wake-up call," Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about his team, although he might as well have been talking to the rest of the NBA.
The Knicks are for real, and they're only getting started.
Game 1 Not a Fluke
While seeing the number five next to their seeding may cause some to doubt New York's place among the NBA's elite teams, anyone who's paid attention to the Knicks since the trade deadline shouldn't be surprised.
After picking up Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers, New York has the No. 1-ranked offense (121.2 rating) in the NBA and is third overall in net rating (plus-5.4). They've gone 17-9 over this stretch and 37-22 overall since Dec. 4, a streak of improved play that coincidentally started with a win over the Cavs when they held Cleveland to what would be a season-low 81 points.
In this group's first playoff win together, there was a calmness that's difficult to find, even on the most experienced teams.
Brunson picked up his third foul early in the second quarter and was limited to just nine minutes and six points in the first half. RJ Barrett finished the game with seven points on 2-of-12 shooting, and Immanuel Quickley missed all five of his field goal attempts off the bench.
Of course, none of this mattered in the end as the Knicks secured their first Game 1 road victory since 1999.
Jalen Brunson = Clutch
Brunson played a nearly perfect second half, scoring 21 points and not committing a single foul the rest of the game. Every time the Cavs made a run, Brunson was there with a clutch shot to quiet the 19,432 fans in attendance.
The Knicks' 26-year-old point guard has quickly become one of the best closers in the NBA after finishing fourth in clutch-time scoring this season. His 139 total clutch points were one higher than Cavs star Donovan Mitchell, the player New York famously came short of acquiring last offseason.
Of the 21 players who scored 100 points or more in the clutch, only Brunson and Bradley Beal did so while shooting at least 50.0 percent overall and 37.5 percent or higher from three.
Brunson isn't the only player the Knicks can turn to with the game on the line, however.
Josh Hart Has Entered the Chat
"Josh Hart made a tough three at the end," Mitchell said on Saturday, referring to Hart's 27-footer that gave New York a 95-93 lead with less than two minutes remaining. "We were right there."
"Unreal. That's just what he does," Brunson added, describing Hart. "It doesn't matter if it's pickup, preseason, playoffs—he plays that way every single time. That's just how he is and how he's wired."
The former college teammates at Villanova are already one of the most successful NBA duos. When the Knicks play Brunson and Hart together, New York has a net rating of plus-22.2 in 490 total possessions, ranking in the 100th percentile per Cleaning the Glass.
Let's not forget the only player who made the All-Star team this season, either.
Knicks' All-Star Shining
Randle had missed the previous five games with an ankle injury yet piled up 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. He was far more physical than Evan Mobley and the rest of the Cavs' frontcourt, setting a tone that Cleveland simply couldn't match, even if he admitted his conditioning wasn't back yet.
"I was tired as hell. That's why we have such a great team. Able to lean on the guys, JB [Brunson], Josh [Hart], everybody. Able to pick each other up. Just trust the guys, and it was a great team win," Randle said.
After stealing home-court advantage from the Cavs, the Knicks could make this a quick series with a Game 2 win in Cleveland.
But for New York, it may just be the beginning.
2023 NBA Playoffs and Beyond
A potential second-round matchup against a Bucks team that finds itself in an 0-1 hole looks extremely interesting. Only one of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers (assuming they both advance) will come out of the second round as well.
If you're looking for a dark horse to make a potential title run, the Knicks are it.
With Quickley, Hart, Obi Toppin and Isaiah Hartenstein, New York has one of the best benches in all of basketball and can keep its starters fresh throughout a long playoff run. While the Cavs had three starters play 43 or more minutes, Randle's 34 minutes were the most among the Knicks' opening five.
And no matter how this postseason ends for New York, few teams are set up as well to improve their franchises moving forward.
By not trading for Mitchell last summer, the Knicks have no player making over $28.2 million next season and have significant draft capital going forward. New York has all of its own first-round picks in 2024 and beyond and carries future first-rounders from the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Bucks.
The quality of the roster has finally matched the mystique of the franchise and should be viewed as an attractive destination for free agents and stars who request trades moving forward.
While the Knicks may play the role of spoiler for now, they should soon be considered one of the top teams in the Association.
