ESPN commentator Stephen A Smith took a shot at the Cleveland Cavaliers before they face the New York Knicks in Game 3 of their series in the NBA Playoffs on Friday.
“Cleveland ain't built for this,” Stephen A Smith wrote in a Wednesday tweet. “They will not walk into The Garden and leave with a win in Game 3.”
Cleveland tied the series at one game apiece when it earned a 107-90 victory in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Tuesday. Cavs guard Darius Garland scored 32 points in 36 minutes played, hitting eight of his 17 shot attempts and six of his 10 3-point shots on Cleveland's home court.
“I told him, ‘This is the performance that changes your mindset,'” Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell said, via Cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor. “At the end of the day, he knows he can be that good but for him to do it at this stage and this level in the playoffs, it changes his mindset.
“This is just the beginning.”
Knicks forward Julius Randle and guard Jalen Brunson scored 22 and 20 points for New York in Game 2, respectively. Brunson's 20-point performance followed a 27-point outburst in Game 1, a matchup that saw Knicks guard Josh Hart add 17 points and 10 rebounds in the 101-97 win at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
“Big time. That's what he does,” Brunson said of Hart. “Doesn't matter that it's a playoff game or preseason game or pickup.
“That's how he plays. He's unreal.”
The Cavs will pack their bags and play in two straight games at Madison Square Garden following the 1-1 split in Cleveland. New York went 23-18 at home in the regular season, taking two wins at the Garden against the Cavaliers in December and January. Cleveland went 20-21 on the road during the 2022-23 regular season.
The Knicks will tip off against the Cavs at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Friday in Madison Square Garden. The game will be broadcasted on ABC and MSG.
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