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The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are gearing up to play in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round postseason series and, heading into the exhibition, orange and blue fans were treated to some major news regarding star Julius Randle.
Per a report by SNY’s Ian Begley via Twitter, the big man is expected to suit up for the Knickerbockers Saturday evening.
“Barring an unexpected issue during his pre-game warmups, NYK’s Julius Randle will play in Game 1 vs Cavs, per SNY sources. Randle would be playing for first time since his left ankle sprain in late March. ESPN earlier reported that there was ‘a lot of optimism’ Randle would play,” Begley wrote.
The Knicks centerpiece has been shelved the last two weeks of action due to a grueling ankle sprain sustained back on March 29 in a matchup against the Miami Heat.
Throughout his five-game injury-induced hiatus, New York went 3-2 while outscoring their opponents by 10-plus points in each one of their wins.
Though Tom Thibodeau’s club with Obi Toppin manning the starting power forward position certainly proved to be an admirable core, ultimately, they managed to clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference standings this season with the likes of Julius Randle serving as their focal point player.
Registering arguably a career-best regular season, the two-time All-Star posted stellar averages of 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 45.9% from the field through 77 games played.
Caris LeVert’s Play Could Swing Knicks, Cavs Series
While this Knicks, Cavaliers round-one bout could be argued as being one of the least predictable matchups in this year’s postseason, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor seems to believe the outcome could end up being determined by the play of one specific player.
During a recent appearance on SNY’s The Putback With Ian Begley, the Cavs beat reporter was asked how Cleveland could pull out a series win over New York. In response, Fedor discussed several different factors that could determine the ultimate outcome, though pegged Caris LeVert as being the player who could be Cleveland’s true x-factor.
“The Cavs have been built on the strength of a formidable starting five. It’s as good of a starting five as you’re going to find in the NBA. It’s as productive as a starting five that you’re going to find in the NBA. They’re going to have to find somebody else to supplement that kind of production and I’m looking at Caris LeVert. If he can do that and play the way he did in March, that would be a big boost for the Cavs in this series against the Knicks, especially because the Knicks have somebody like [Immanuel] Quickley coming off the bench, and Josh Hart,” Fedor said.
Throughout the final month of the season, LeVert was on an absolute tear and was posting impressive averages of 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 51.0% from the field and 48.8% from distance.
Luckily against the Knicks this season, however, he has struggled mightily, as he finished their four-game regular season series with lackluster averages of 7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.3 rebounds while shooting a lowly 29.0% from the field.
Donovan Mitchell Dubs Knicks’ Guard ‘Head of the Snake’
During a recent media session, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell discussed his team’s upcoming matchup against the New York Knicks.
During his practice-day discussion, the perennial All-Star talked about the major keys to picking up a series win and, in specific, suggested guard Jalen Brunson is the main point of attack when it comes to their defensive game plan.
“He’s there, so we got to get him,” Mitchell said regarding Brunson. “And it’s not just him. It’s him and [Julius] Randle and Quick [Immanuel Quickly] and [Josh] Hart and those guys. But obviously, Jalen is the head of the snake, so we got to go out there and find a way to contain him and make sure the other guys don’t get off. It will be a lot of fun.”
Jalen Brunson signed with the Knicks this past offseason, agreeing to terms on a four-year, $104 million deal. Though some initially deemed the contract as an “overpay”, throughout his first season in New York the 26-year-old has proven to be worth every penny spent by the organization.
Through 68 games played Brunson has posted career-best averages of 24.0 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.6% from distance.
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