The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are preparing to face off in the Eastern Conference Finals. Before the season, the CBS Sports NBA staff predicted the Eastern Conference champions, and only two teams were selected: the New York Knicks, who received five votes, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who got the other three.
Of course, the exact path to this point was unpredictable. Nobody anticipated a James Harden-for-Darius Garland swap, and New York’s playoff transformation has been remarkable. These teams are not the same as they were at the start of the season when they were considered the obvious conference favourites.
Cleveland endured two challenging, seven-game series against Toronto and Detroit to reach this stage. New York, after some early struggles against the Hawks, swept the 76ers and had a week-long wait before returning to the court. The Eastern Conference Finals are now here, with the winner set to face either the Spurs or the Thunder in the NBA Finals.
Expert Predictions for Knicks vs. Cavaliers
Several experts have weighed in with their predictions for the series.
- Gonzalez: Knicks in 7
- Herbert: Cavaliers in 6
- Maloney: Knicks in 6
Gonzalez: Knicks in Seven Games
Gonzalez predicts the Knicks will win in seven games. He notes the Knicks have home-court advantage and avoided facing the Pistons, who dominated them in the regular season. However, he acknowledges the challenge New York faces.
The Knicks had a long rest after sweeping the Sixers, which allowed OG Anunoby to rest his hamstring. Anunoby is expected to return for Game 1, which is a significant boost for New York. While the Knicks haven’t been seriously tested since the first round, the Cavs won two Game 7s, with Donovan Mitchell and both bigs playing well. The performance of James Harden remains uncertain. Jalen Brunson, KAT and Co. have their work cut out for them.
Herbert: Cavaliers in Six Games
Herbert is predicting the Cavaliers will win in six games. He acknowledges the Knicks’ strong form and home-court advantage, but he believes Evan Mobley will be a key factor. Mobley’s performance in the final games of the Pistons series impressed him, and he doesn’t see Karl-Anthony Towns being able to pick the Cavs apart with Mobley defending him.
Maloney: Knicks in Six Games
Maloney predicts the Knicks will win in six games. He notes the Cavaliers’ individual talent but points out their inconsistency throughout the season, including the first two rounds of the playoffs. While he acknowledges the Cavaliers could potentially put everything together and win the series, he doesn’t trust them to do so against a Knicks team that has been performing well. The Knicks have home-court advantage, a significant rest advantage, and avoided the Pistons. Maloney believes it will be difficult for the Cavaliers to defend or rebound against the Knicks.
The series will determine who will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals and face either the Spurs or the Thunder.