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A New York Knicks' Game 4 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers would put the Cavs on the brink of elimination in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Ahead of Sunday's Knicks-Cavs matchup, we'll be making our Knicks Game 4 predictions.
It was less than two days ago that the Knicks embarrassed the Cavaliers to take a 2-1 series lead. New York blew out Cleveland 99-79 in Game 3 Friday night. A young Cavs team appeared to be frazzled in front of the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd. The energy in the building propelled the Knicks, making their 17-point Game 2 loss seem like a distant memory.
After beating the Cavs in Game 3, the Knicks are favored to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in Game 4. New York has stolen home-court advantage and proven that it can win in Cleveland. If the Knicks' Game 4 defensive effort is anything like it was in Game 3, the Cavs don't stand much of a chance to even up the series.
New York's Game 3 win will likely turn out to be an outlier in this series. Expect a much better performance from Cleveland Sunday afternoon. Let's take a look at our Knicks Game 4 predictions.
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3. New York Knicks F Julius Randle will score 30 points
The Knicks have a 2-1 series lead in spite of Julius Randle's offensive woes. New York's only All-Star has contributed in other ways. Randle is averaging 8.7 rebounds per game, and he grabbed an offensive board late in Game 1 that essentially sealed a Knicks' victory. But New York could have a tough time winning Game 4 if Randle doesn't start playing a much more efficient brand of basketball.
Randle is averaging 17.3 points on 18.3 field-goal attempts per game. He's shooting an abysmal 32.7% from the field and 29.6% from 3-point range. Those numbers have to improve, especially after he scored 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting Friday night. Randle averaged 25.1 points per game on 46% shooting in the regular season. The 28-year-old is too good to continue struggling the way that he has through three games.
With the way the Knicks' offense is playing, Randle is going to get some open looks. Jalen Brunson has been the best player in the series. Look for Cleveland to trap Brunson hard in Game 4, giving Randle opportunities to score. In his last regular-season matchup with the Cavs, Randle scored 36 points on 11-of-21 shooting at MSG. Don't be surprised if he puts up similar numbers in Game 4.
2. New York Knicks will surrender 110 points to Cleveland Cavs in Game 4
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The Knicks deserve plenty of credit for holding the Cavs to 79 points in Game 3. However, Cleveland largely has itself to blame for such an anemic offensive performance. It marked the first time this season that a team failed to score 80 points in a game. The Cavs missed plenty of wide-open shots and turned the ball over too many times.
Donovan Mitchell and Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledged that nerves affected the team in Game 3. That shouldn't be as much of an issue in Game 4. Cleveland has gotten its first road game out of the way and knows what to expect from the environment in MSG. Darius Garland is not going to have another 4-of-21 shooting night. The Cavs will also be better from the free-throw line after missing seven of their 17 attempts from the charity stripe.
The Knicks had the No. 19 defensive rating during the regular season. Mitchell is averaging 25.7 per game in the series. Cleveland scored 107 points in its Game 2 win, during which Garland scored 32 points on 17 shots. If the Knicks are going to win Game 4, the offense is going to have to show up in a big way.
1. New York Knicks will lose to Cleveland Cavaliers by six to 10 points
Since the start of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Knicks-Cavs has looked like the most evenly-matched series of the first round. The two teams seem destined to play at least six games, potentially deciding the winner in a do-or-die Game 7. Now that New York has taken a 2-1 lead, it's time for Cleveland to steal a victory on the road.
The Cavs are the more desperate team in Game 4. It was the case in Game 2 after the Knicks won the series opener. The result was a one-sided 107-90 Cleveland victory. The game was over before the fourth quarter started.
After back-to-back blowouts, the Knicks and Cavs should finally play a competitive contest. New York isn't going to get embarrassed in front of the Garden crowd. Mitchell and Garland should play much better in Game 4 and show that Game 3 was an aberration. The Cavs have +550 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to beat the Knicks by at least six but no more than 10 points in Game 4.
