The Knicks picked a good time to put up one of the best defensive performances of the NBA season.
Tom Thibodeau’s squad held the overwhelmed Cavaliers to just 21.2 percent shooting from downtown and 38.8 percent from the field, as Cleveland became the first team this season to score below 80 points with New York cruising to a 99-79 win at The Garden.
The Knicks, even with one of their top defenders in Quentin Grimes nursing a shoulder contusion in the second half, held Donovan Mitchell to 22 points and 2-of-8 shooting from downtown, and the defense helped overcome a woeful shooting performance in the first half, and turned a critical game three into a breezy victory.
The win was the first playoff win of 20 points or more since the 2012-13 squad blew out the Pacers at MSG in game two of the conference semifinals.
The Cavs managed just 32 points in the first half, and the Knicks defense, along with a packed and raucous MSG crowd, made sure it never got any better for Cleveland.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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