The Cavaliers have their backs against the wall heading into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. After blowing a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and getting run out of Madison Square Garden in Game 2 of the series, Cleveland must defend home court on Saturday night to avoid falling into a 3–0 deficit that would be all but impossible to come back from.
Meanwhile, for the Knicks, Saturday’s game represents a chance to take a decisive edge not just in the Eastern Conference finals, but in their quest for a title as well. While New York would have a tough matchup against whichever team comes out of the West, right now it looks like the Thunder and Spurs are trading heavy blows in a series that could go the distance, and thus wrapping up the ECF quickly could give the Knicks a massive rest advantage heading into the Finals.
That’s all a long way off. For tonight, it’s the Cavaliers looking to keep their hopes of a championship run alive, and the Knicks looking to roll on to their 10th straight playoff win.
How we got here...
- Game 1: Knicks 115, Cavs 104 (OT)
- Game 2: Knicks 109, Cavs 103
The Knicks have had an impressive run through the postseason thus far. After falling into a 2–1 hole against the Hawks in the first round, New York rattled off three straight wins to close the series, and then followed that up by sweeping the 76ers out of the second round. Now, they’re up 2–0 in the Eastern Conference finals and just two wins away from their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999.
Conversely, the Cavaliers have had to claw their way through every second of this postseason, with both their first-round series against the Raptors and second-round series agains the Pistons going to a decisive Game 7 before Cleveland emerged victorious. There’s a good chance that if the Cavaliers are going to advance through to the NBA Finals, they’ll need to survive another Game 7.
If there’s any saving grace for the Cavaliers, it’s that they’ve been here before. They trailed the Pistons 2–0 after two games in Detroit in the second round, and were able to bounce back and defend home court to send the series back to Detroit tied 2–2.
