It would have been easy to overreact when the Cavs were up 22 with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter Tuesday to say the Knicks were in trouble. However, never count your money before the game is over.
The pain of having the Cavs on the moneyline and with points dissipated over the last 12 minutes of the game. That would be the final seven of the fourth quarter in overtime. New York outscored Cleveland 44-11 in that span and went on to win and cover in an improbable way.
NBA odds for Game 2 have the Knicks as 6-point favorites. The total is 214. So, what was the real deal, the first 41 minutes or the last 12? The thought here is that so long as James Harden is anywhere near Jalen Brunson, the Cavaliers are in big trouble on defense. Donovan Mitchell was having a great game, and then he vanished.
Cleveland had the chance to grab the Knicks by the throat and steal the opener. Instead, it wound up gasping for air as the Knicks choked the life out of them. This is a Knicks team that has won eight straight games. Don’t be surprised when they make it nine on Thursday.
Pick: Knicks -6 points
