JALEN Brunson delivered 30 points as New York Knicks defeated Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-108, in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night (Sunday in the Philippines) in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Knicks seized a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals behind another balanced offensive effort, moving one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.
Mikal Bridges contributed 22 points, OG Anunoby chipped in 21 markers, while Landry Shamet tallied 14 points, with 11 coming in the fourth quarter, for the Knicks.
The Knicks shot efficiently throughout the contest, converting 43 of 77 attempts from the field and knocking down 11 three-pointers. They also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 24 of 27 foul shots.
New York established momentum early by opening the game with a 9-1 burst and built a 37-27 cushion after the first quarter. Cleveland fought back in the second period and briefly tied the score at 50.
Brunson helped widen the gap in the third quarter, scoring six points during an 8-1 run that pushed the Knicks ahead by 13 points late in the period. Shamet came up huge in the fourth period to put the game from within reach.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 23 points, while James Harden added 21. Cleveland struggled from long range, finishing just 12-of-41 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander orchestrated another strong all-around performance as Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from an early deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 123-108, in Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference finals, taking a 2-1 series lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 12 assists for Oklahoma City, which erased a shaky opening stretch after falling behind by 15 points in the first few minutes of the contest.
Jared McCain contributed 24 markers, while Jaylin Williams chipped in 18 as the Thunder continued to thrive despite the absence of Jalen Williams, who missed the game due to soreness in his left hamstring.
Victor Wembanyama paced the Spurs with 24 points, while Devin Vassell added 20. De’Aaron Fox returned from a sprained right ankle and scored 15 points in his first appearance of the series./PN
