The Cavaliers entered the playoffs with four players who had been an All-Star in the last two years but with serious questions about who would be the fifth Beatle and depth overall.
That showed up in Game 1 against the Knicks — Cleveland’s players 5-9 scored just 20 points on 5-of-19 shooting (26.3%). New York outscored Cleveland in the paint and the Knicks absolutely outworked them on the offensive glass — including key offensive rebounds/tips by Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein in the final :45 seconds of the game.
Then there was Jalen Brunson, who was everything in Game 1 he was all season — the steadying influence and the guy who got buckets when it was needed (like the second half).
He finished with 27 points — 21 in the second half — to lead the Knicks. Jalen Brunson (27 PTS, 2 STL) was CLUTCH in his first playoff appearance as a Knick!