Knicks roll over Cavaliers, win first-round series in five games and advance in playoffs for first time in a decade
CLEVELAND – In the end, it was domination. A lopsided series.
The Knicks had the better point guard. The better center. The better depth. The better coach. The greater determination. The much better rebounding.
They wiped the floor with the Cavaliers in the first round, closing out the series Wednesday with a 106-95 breeze in Game 5 despite Julius Randle missing the second half with a sprained ankle.
The Knicks, who started the round as underdogs as the fifth seed, captured the franchise’s first postseason series in a decade. It also represented just the second series win since 2000, when Thibodeau was an assistant coach under Jeff Van Gundy and yelled instructions with a much fuller head of hair. Next up is the winner of the Heat and Bucks, with at least three days off before Game 1.
And since the eighth-seeded Heat are currently up 3-1 against the No. 1 Bucks, the Knicks can see a realistic path to the conference finals through South Beach.
Their five games against Cleveland demonstrated they’re more than capable. They won behind Jalen Brunson, who scored 23 points Wednesday and continued to outplay Donovan Mitchell. They won it behind Mitchell Robinson, who dominated the paint and kept possessions alive with a ridiculous 11 offensive rebounds. They won behind the efficiency of RJ Barrett, who scored 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting for his third consecutive exquisite performance. They won behind an unexpected burst from Obi Toppin, who replaced the injured Randle and finished with 12 points in 22 minutes. They won behind 46 hard-nosed minutes from Josh Hart, who again stifled Mitchell while grabbing 12 rebounds.
The Knicks also won because the Cavaliers stunk, underwhelming at every starting position while getting bullied in the paint by New York’s physicality. The series exposed Cleveland’s frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley – considered among the most daunting during the regular season – as Charmin’ soft. Allen and Mobley were responsible for allowing 17 offensive rebounds to the Knicks, who owned that category all series.
The health of Randle, meanwhile, is very much up in the air for the conference semis. The All-Star turned his left ankle late in the second quarter Wednesday, laying on the court in pain as trainers, teammates and even coach Tom Thibodeau gravitated toward Randle with concern.
The 28-year-old, who watched the fourth quarter in street clothes, was injured after contesting a shot and landing awkwardly on Cavs guard Caris LeVert. He sprained the same ankle on March 29 and missed the final five games of the regular season.
Before the latest injury, Randle was providing a rejuvenated performance with 13 points and six assists in 16 minutes. Three nights prior, he struggled mightily in Game 4 and was benched for the entire fourth quarter.
Thibodeau was hopeful that two days off between games would provide Randle a needed refresher. Asked if he expected Randle to bounce back in Game 5, the coach simply said, “I do.”
It started well, but ended with Randle limping to the locker room. He needed help getting off the court but stumbled to the bench on his own.
Then he re-emerged from the locker room to watch his team cruise to the next round.
GRIMES OUT AGAIN
The Knicks were again without their starting shooting guard, Quentin Grimes, who missed his second straight game with a bruised shoulder.
Grimes sustained the injury during Game 3, although it remains unclear how or exactly when it occurred.
“It’s a quirky thing,” Thibodeau said. “It happened during the course of the first half, you don’t know exactly when it happened. You’re running through a ton of screens, you’re getting hit. So somewhere along the line, he got hit.”
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