The Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers begin on Tuesday. The Knicks are set to host the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden for Game 1, with tip-off scheduled at 8:00 p.m.
Speaking to reporters on Monday after practice, Knicks coach Mike Brown was asked about his plans against the Cavaliers. Brown shared some details of what they will try to do to stop Donovan Mitchell and James Harden from doing too much damage on offense.
“We have to put pressure on them in all phases, starting with transition and ending with the ability to try and get an offensive rebound,” Brown said, via Ben Krimmel of SNY. “You wanna make all of their guys, especially their guys that playmake for them and do a lot for them, you wanna make them work as much as you can.”
“But that’s not gonna be our vocal point. Our vocal point is going to be to take the best possible shot that we can get because it’s hard to score in the playoffs. But we do wanna make those guys work.”
Brown also mentioned that Gregg Popovich once told him three All-Stars are needed to win a championship. The Knicks only have two in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, while the Cavs have four: Harden, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Despite the disadvantage, Brown is confident about their offense and defense heading into Game 1.
Mike Brown on New York Knicks’ 9-Day Break
GettyMike Brown stands on the side of the court during their game against the Detroit Pistons at Golden 1 Center on December 26, 2024 in Sacramento, California.
In the same news conference, Mike Brown also discussed the effect of having a nine-day break. The New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers in their second-round playoff series, so they had to wait for their opponent from the Detroit Pistons-Cleveland Cavaliers series that took seven games to finish.
“At the end of the day, we’ve had the chance to rest, too,” Brown said, via Ben Krimmel of SNY. “And they’ve had to play 14 games in 29, 30 days. So, it could go either way. You just hope when we step out there, our competitive spirit is at an extremely high level and we don’t ease into the game at all. Because they’re a dangerous, dangerous offensive team, they’re very potent with their shooters and playmakers and they have size and toughness and all that.”
Josh Hart added that the long break was less than ideal, but it was what they were handed. There are pros and cons about it, but Hart admitted that the rest pretty nice in a way.
Knicks Announce Update on OG Anunoby
Ahead of Game 1, the New York Knicks have listed OG Anunoby as probable due to a minor right hamstring injury. Anunoby missed the last two games of the series against the Sixers, but it seems like he’ll be cleared to return on Tuesday.
Anunoby has been one of the Knicks’ best players this postseason, so his return is a welcome addition. He’s averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in this year’s playoffs.
New York Knicks Game Plan Against Cavaliers Gets Revealed Ahead of Game 1