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Game Thread | Knicks playoff series Game #2 | Knicks @ Cavs | April 18, 2023 | 7:30 TNT

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The Human Q-Tip said:
Donovan has so much gravity that here are times when teams come close to triple-teaming him, and he still tries to score.

When he threatens but instead passes quickly after drawing the double, defenses are off-balance and everything else magically becomes easier for the entire offense. Much more effective look.
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Thibs and his staff have to be very careful the type of defensive adjustments they make in reaction to DG and Caris tonight.

Because if those tweaks result in Donovan feeling unbothered, comfortable, having space, etc. he will put them in a world of hurt
 
CavsFaninNJ said:
Also, not for nothing the staff is extra rude there. In Cleveland the ushers, etc are some of the friendliest people. I told them I came from far away and they made sure I got to take pics on the court, for example. They joke, tell you to have a nice night.

I know it’s partially regional and culture (I’m from NJ, and live there) - but even for NY the staff at the garden are terrible. They yell at you. Damn near curse you out if you don’t scan your ticket right or something lol

Also the in game experience is the worst of the NBA. No fun. Just the fucking organ and showing stars front row. Literally.

TLDR: I hate that place
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It’s hilarious that NYC media and fans actually believe that Mecca crap.

I was actually a sixth grader in Monmouth County when MSG hosted Frazier - Ali I. That was a world class event. Knicks - not so much.
 
Bickerstaff pulled the right strings. No Wade, no Rubio, barely any Okoro. He went with the unit that should be the best on paper; DG, Mitchell, Mobley, Allen, and LeVert, with Cedi and Green off the bench. A seven-man unit.

Great move. The five main guys played 35-40 minutes while Cedi and Green played 23 and 20. Perfect.

They also had Garland do most of the ball-handling while Mitchell played off the ball. That worked really well. Donovan only took 11 shots. LeVert came up huge with 24 points and a +23 in 40 minutes. The Core Four plus LeVert were all +15 to +29. Green and Osman were -2 and -9 but that was good enough.

The level of physicality and intensity was much higher. The Cavs battled on the defensive glass and held the Knicks to 36.7%. The defense and physicality was night and day from Game 1.

I wonder if Josh Hart, who was doubtful, is 100%. In 27 minutes he was a -29, scoring just 5 points with 4 rebounds after a 27/10 line in Game 1. The biggest difference from Game 1 was Hart disappeared and LeVert was awesome instead of the other way around.

So now that the Cavs know who their personnel grouping will be and how they want to play the question is whether they can win one at the Garden.
 
J_J said:
Today was an example of why we are the number 1 defense. That was exceptionally one of the best defenses I’ve seen for the full game. Giving many different schemes on Brunson, team D, rebounding, physicality, just tremendous performance overall.
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Might be one of the best defensive Cavs playoff games I’ve seen.

I mean I guess that’s hard to say. The Cavs had had to defend much better teams than the Knicks. But it’s up there, especially when you throw out low scoring games in the 2000s under Mike Brown that, in hindsight, were part of a terrible offensive era as much as anything else.
 
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So does LeVert start game 3 like he did in the second half or does Okoro start the first half and LeVert the second half?
 
MirORich said:
Thibs and his staff have to be very careful the type of defensive adjustments they make in reaction to DG and Caris tonight.

Because if those tweaks result in Donovan feeling unbothered, comfortable, having space, etc. he will put them in a world of hurt
Click to expand...

Totally agree - I think that's exactly why Donovan in distributor mode is so dangerous. Because if you don't treat it him as someone who can both blow by you and nail a dagger 3, he'll kill you. And that gravity plus the passing is almost like having an extra offensive player out there.
 
Jscc said:
So does LeVert start game 3 like he did in the second half or does Okoro start the first half and LeVert the second half?
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Start the unit that started the second half and bring in Cedi and Green. Seven man rotation. Okoro missed a couple of weeks with the knee injury and I don't know if he's 100%.
 
LeVert doesn’t get to go to the podium tonight? That’s a shame. He deserves it.
 
2 For The Brew said:
It’s hilarious that NYC media and fans actually believe that Mecca crap.

I was actually a sixth grader in Monmouth County when MSG hosted Frazier - Ali I. That was a world class event. Knicks - not so much.
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Yeah. This whole “world’s most famous arena” mantra is so outdated. It even carried some weight with me as a kid in the 90s. Nowadays, it’s just a belief that perpetuates itself among those who believe it.

I do respect that it’s an urban arena right in the middle of NYC. But the history, the aura, so overrated by Knicks fans.

As a 36 year old NBA fan, Staples Center is much more legendary. To name one.
 
Wham with the Right Hand said:
Bickerstaff pulled the right strings. No Wade, no Rubio, barely any Okoro. He went with the unit that should be the best on paper; DG, Mitchell, Mobley, Allen, and LeVert, with Cedi and Green off the bench. A seven-man unit.

Great move. The five main guys played 35-40 minutes while Cedi and Green played 23 and 20. Perfect.

They also had Garland do most of the ball-handling while Mitchell played off the ball. That worked really well. Donovan only took 11 shots. LeVert came up huge with 24 points and a +23 in 40 minutes. The Core Four plus LeVert were all +15 to +29. Green and Osman were -2 and -9 but that was good enough.

The level of physicality and intensity was much higher. The Cavs battled on the defensive glass and held the Knicks to 36.7%. The defense and physicality was night and day from Game 1.

I wonder if Josh Hart, who was doubtful, is 100%. In 27 minutes he was a -29, scoring just 5 points with 4 rebounds after a 27/10 line in Game 1. The biggest difference from Game 1 was Hart disappeared and LeVert was awesome instead of the other way around.

So now that the Cavs know who their personnel grouping will be and how they want to play the question is whether they can win one at the Garden.
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Yes but what about keeping bad Cedi in the game?
 
Expensive Jet said:
Fully expecting several “what the fucks” early Friday night with the refs in that shithole of an arena
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If you take escalators and stairs down from MSG you’ll end up in the hellhole train station (New York Penn). Take any NJ transit train and in less than ten minutes you’ll be in Secaucus, a shitty NJ burg where the NBA has their replay center. Think we’ll get a fair deal there or more Embiid sixth foul reversal bullshit?

Blow them out and they can’t affect the outcome.
 
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