The Knicks were able to beat the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the series via three contributors: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Julius Randle were able to go off.
The New York Knicks won Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a defensive battle where neither team reached above 102 points for the entire game.
Both teams shot horribly from the floor for most of the game and it was a defensive battle.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell went off during the game and scored 38 points.
Here are the three Knicks who made sure his efforts were in vain:
3 Knicks most responsible for Game 1 win over Cavaliers
Second-half Jalen Brunson
Early in the first half, Jalen Brunson picked up three fouls and needed to sit on the bench for the rest of the half. While he was solid in the minutes he played in the first half, there wasn’t much playing time for Brunson as he played 9 first-half minutes.
In the second half, Brunson was able to stay out of foul trouble and went off ending up with 27 points for the entire game.
First-half Julius Randle
For the first half of the game with Brunson out, Randle had to carry the load as an offensive first option for the Knicks. He was able to do so by getting 16 points in the first half and continuing his stride in the second half.
Randle would struggle in the second half (shooting 14 percent from the floor in the second half) and would end up playing second fiddle to Brunson.
Josh Hart
Josh Hart had an amazing game from the floor. In a game where the Knicks struggled offensively without Brunson in the first half, Hart was able to carry some of the load.
In the closing minutes of the game when Randle and Brunson were getting doubled, Hart was able to get a key bucket and step up.
With Randle and Brunson having struggled for parts of the game (for various reasons), Hart was the only real consistent player for the Knicks in a very tough offensive game for them.
Other factors for the Knicks
Other factors that led to the win for the Knicks were the bench points which were plentiful. The Knicks ended up with 36 bench points to the Cavs’ 14.
Additionally, it seemed that the Knicks were more physical than the Cavs. The Knicks were able to collect six more offensive rebounds than the Cavs, which was key in their victory.
A rough game by R.J. Barrett almost caused them to lose the game. He ended up having to be benched for Quentin Grimes in the closing minutes of the game.
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