NBA: Knicks-Cavaliers G4: Preview, Props, Prediction

The New York Knicks are a popular favorite to complete a sweep of the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland on Monday night.

The Knicks lead the series 3-0 and have won 10 consecutive playoff games by a combined 225 points.

ODDS AND TRENDS

That has led to New York being a consensus 2.5-point favorite entering Game 4.

That includes at DraftKings and BetMGM, where the Knicks had been backed by 85% of the spread-line bets and a whopping 98% of the money as of Monday morning. Their -115 moneyline to win the game outright had moved to -145 while being backed by 57% of the bets and 74% of the money.

New York opened the series as the -300 favorite to advance, with those odds now sitting at -10000.

PROP PICK

--Cavaliers G Donovan Mitchell Over 6.5 1st Quarter Points (-110 at BetMGM): This has been the most popular player prop at the book, with Mitchell averaging 25.7 points through 17 playoff games so far. He was held to 23 points in the Game 3 loss at home on Saturday.

BRUNSON BURNING RED-HOT

Knicks star Jalen Brunson has averaged 29.0 points and 8.7 assists in the first three games while playing a series-high 128 minutes. The eighth-year pro added another accolade Sunday, when he was named to the All-NBA second team, along with Cleveland's Mitchell.

"Jalen is the MVP," Knicks coach Mike Brown said. "He's an MVP candidate and he continues to do what he has to do night after night."

His focus, though, is all on Game 4 -- and potentially beyond -- as third-seeded New York seeks its first East crown since 1999.

"I don't want to consider us peaking at this moment," said Brunson, whose 27.8 scoring average ranks third in the league this postseason. "But I haven't really had the time to wonder where we are as a team. All I focus on is how can we get better from the day before."

Shooting guard Mikal Bridges has also taken his game to a new level during the Knicks' playoff run, averaging 19.1 points and shooting 69.1% from the field and 47.6% on 3-pointers over his last eight games.

The league's active ironman has made Cleveland pay when it double-teams Brunson or center Karl-Anthony Towns, making 27 of 38 field-goal attempts (71.1%) and averaging 19.7 points in the series.

"I'm so close with a lot of guys on this team," Bridges said. "Just them being there and knowing that I want to play better. And especially to help the team win. They want that, too."

CAVS COMPETING ON FUMES

The fourth-seeded Cavaliers just want to win, period, and avoid being swept in a series for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. That also was the last time they advanced to the East finals until this season.

Cleveland squandered a 22-point lead in the final 7:52 of regulation in Game 1, then collapsed in overtime for a 115-104 loss. The Cavs haven't recovered from it, dropping Game 2 by a 109-93 margin and never leading in a 121-108 defeat in Game 3.

Instead of winning the opener on Sam Merrill's wide-open 3-point attempt, the Cavaliers have looked exhausted since his shot bounced off the rim. Cleveland has played every other day since April 29; playing the maximum seven games in its first two series has clearly taken a physical toll.

"We know if you lose, you're done, but we've got to let that thing go and go play," Merrill said. "Obviously, let's make the adjustments and clean up what we need to. And let's go play with full belief that we're going to get a win."

Mitchell has done his part, but point guard James Harden has yet to play well against New York. "The Beard" is shooting just 41.3% from the field and is making a dismal 22.7% of his 3-point tries.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson is contemplating a lineup change to spark his club by moving small forward Dean Wade to the bench, but there is no obvious replacement as Merrill and Max Strus are only making a combined 29.3% of their field-goal attempts.

DEFLATING DEFICIT

No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series.

"They're the more energetic team and we're a count, maybe two counts, behind at times," Atkinson said. "We're missing shots and transition breakdowns are getting them going.

"I don't know. I don't have an answer."

PREDICTION

The Cavs gave it their best shot in Game 1 and have looked cooked ever since the fourth-quarter meltdown at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have all the momentum, along with the motivation to polish the series off in four games and watch Oklahoma City and San Antonio battle it out in the Western Conference finals. --Knicks 111, Cavaliers 106

-Field Level Media/Reuters