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3 Surefire events, 2 surprises that might happen in Cavs-Knicks series

By Caleb Crowley

Mar 31, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is defended by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is defended by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports) /

Surprise No. 1: A short series

Over the regular season, the Knicks won three of the four contests between Cleveland and New York. Each game was a battle, and the teams seem fairly well matched against one another to make for a tough playoff series.

Although it is likely to be a grueling fight to four wins for either team, the playoffs are an entirely different beast than the regular season. Neither team has a vetted group of NBA Finals contenders or constant postseason runs. If one team comes vastly more mentally prepared and hungry for the win, the series may end before anybody has the chance to realize it.

As mentioned before, both team’s primary scoring option came to the team this past offseason, so there is no precedence for their cohesion in the postseason.

In Jalen Brunson’s case, he has only played in the postseason once before and was not the primary scoring option.

For Donovan Mitchell, he has always served as the sole consistent shot creator and has struggled to defend well over a full series.

It will come down to the team around both players and the coaching staffs to overcome the other. If momentum quickly swings toward one team without a quick response from the other, we may have an answer speedily.