The lights are always brighter in the Big Apple, and so far, it appears that they're blinding Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who faltered yet again at Madison Square Garden on Sunday against the New York Knicks. The Knicks came away with a 102-93 home win in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead and put Cleveland on the brink of elimination.
There were plenty of factors that went the Knicks' way in Game 4, and that includes the impact of the crowd at Madison Square Garden, which was recognized by New York head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“There's nothing like The Garden,” Thibodeau told reporters during the postgame press conference.
Although the Knicks don't have plenty of playoff success over the past several years, the energy of Knicks fans at The Garden is always on a high. In Game 4, New York fans went wild from start to finish and made Cavs players uncomfortable. Donovan Mitchell struggled from the field for the second game in New York in a row, shooting just 5-for-18 from the floor for 11 points in Game 4 after going 9-for-19 in Game 3's loss to the Knicks.
Conversely, Jalen Brunson exploded for 29 points on 11-for-22 shooting to go with six assists and six rebounds. Julius Randle had a forgettable individual performance, as he finished with just seven points on 3-for-10 shooting, but Josh Hart and RJ Barrett got his back. Hart pumped in 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Barrett went off for 26 points on 9-for-18 shooting.
The Knicks can send the Cavaliers home with a win in Game 5 on Thursday.
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